Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Another Story
by Italicised
Summary: A story that follows the same basic plotline of the game Skyward Sword, with many differences. Essentially, the game itself in written form, with added twists and dialogue. Fluffy, funny, full of action. Zelink. Rated M for violence and romance. ;
1. The Midnight Talk

The floor creaked as Link crept across the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. Moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the floor and his bare feet as he crossed the wooden planks. He could hear the sounds of someone else sleeping on the other side of the large, fabric walls; most likely Karane. However, his eyes were focused on the silent figure in the bed in front of him.

She was curled against the wall, her blonde hair not tied up like it usually was, splayed about the white sheets and the pillow. A small grin grew on Link's face, and he leaned forwards, gathering the soft blonde locks and pulling them carefully over her shoulder, out of his way. He sat down softly, and slowly moved his legs over so that he was lying down, next to her, facing her. Her back was still to him.

He'd done this on countless nights. Now and then, she caught him, and it was all up to chance whether she sent him out, or let him stay so they two of them could chat. He was pretty positive she'd get angry at him this time. After all, the Wing Ceremony was the next day, and he'd hardly practiced. She'd been nagging him about it for weeks, but he kept putting it off. He was confident he could win, anyway, but she wouldn't believe him.

In her sleep, she turned over onto her back, her arm falling down to rest against his chest. Her lips fell open and her breathing fell deeper. Link grinned, lifting a hand to play with her hair.

"Who's the sleepyhead now?" he muttered. She stirred, letting out a groan, her eyes flickering open. They focused on him after a moment, and then she smiled.

"You're still the sleepyhead," she replied, turning to face him, and shuffle backwards slightly so there was a space. She lifted the blankets up to her neck and burrowed in them more, her blue eyes watching him steadily.

"Aren't you cold?"

"I'm never cold, remember?" he replied, pressing a hand to her bare shoulder. She laughed quietly.

"Right. Link- wait-" her eyes widened suddenly, and he tilted his head in confusion, lifting his hand hesitantly. She looked suddenly frustrated.

"It's the wing ceremony tomorrow! You should be getting all the sleep you can get! You haven't practiced! You-"

"Do you really want me to leave?" he asked, straight-faced and staring at her under long eyelashes. She opened her mouth to say something, and then shut it again, letting out a sigh.

"Forget it, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Link-"

"No, you're right. I haven't practiced. I should get up early and get some last-minute flying in." He sat up then, but as he was about to step onto the wooden floor and walk away, her hand grasped his arm. He paused, staring ahead of himself for a moment. She'd never done that before. He glanced over his shoulder at her, his mouth dropping open just slightly. With one hand clutching the blankets near her, she'd propped herself up and was staring at him, almost, dare he say it, in a pleading sort of way. When he stared at her, she quickly averted her gaze, letting go. He felt blood rush up to his face.

In a quick movement, he snatched the blankets from her hand, pushing them up in the air and sliding down in the bed to be right next to her. He pulled the blankets up to their shoulders and inched closer. She backed against the wall, and he followed until their noses were only several inches apart, their bare legs intertwined.

"Link!" she exclaimed, staring hard at his chest and blushing madly. "I'm- I'm only wearing a nightgown-"

"I've got shorts on. Relax," he murmured, pressing his nose against hers. She looked up at him then, wide-eyed.

"Come here," he said, wrapping an arm around her, his hand pressing on the small of her waist to bring her closer. He gave her a tight squeeze, and she buried her face in his chest, breathing in deeply and getting somewhat dizzy at the scent of him. He always smelled so wonderful.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, and the question threw Zelda off guard.

"Wh- what do you mean?" she stammered, opening her eyes to stare at the white fabric of his night-shirt.

"Come on, Zelda," he said, smiling as he pressed his nose into her hair, his eyes falling shut. "I can read you like a book."

She couldn't help but smile, but she was still frustrated at the truth of what he'd said. She'd always loved that they were so close, and to be fair, he was rather see-through himself. Still, though… it was embarrassing. He was the only one.

"I've been feeling sort of lost lately," she admitted, letting her shoulders relax when she realised how tense they'd been. "It's like… my dad's texts… a lot of them say all this stuff about what's below the clouds. A land called the surface. Lots of people think there's just a barren world, or maybe that there's nothing there at all… but you have to wonder, you know? And I… lately, just recently, it's like… something down there is… calling me," she trailed off, and then shook her head. "It sounds stupid."

"No," Link replied quickly, his eyes open now and gazing absently past her hair at the wall. "I've thought about the same thing. But I haven't felt a calling to go down there," he added, and Zelda nodded slowly. "I'm sure it's nothing," Link said suddenly, trying to sound reassuring. He let go slightly, and Zelda moved back so the two of them were looking at each other. He smiled.

"Maybe," she said sceptically. "Hopefully."

The two of them watched each other then, breathing slowly. The wind picked up outside and a breeze found it's way into the room, ruffling Link's sandy-blonde hair.

"You know… they're jealous of us," Zelda said. Link raised an eyebrow. "How we've been friends for forever, you know. We're so close. When we first met, at the ceremony when we were given our birds… we made a beeline for each other."

"I was lonely," Link said, his gaze dropping.

"I could tell," Zelda replied, lifting one of her hands to cup the side of his face. His parents had died when he was young. In a horrible bird accident, his mother and her loftwing had run into a small island and were unable to recover, plummeting down through the clouds. In a last-ditch effort to save her, his father had flown after her, only to hit the same rock and meet the same fate. That area in the sky is no longer travelled.

He looked up at her then, and Zelda tried not to see the sadness in his eyes that came with having no parents. He'd always been so happy, so friendly, such a good friend. What little time his parents had had with him, they did an awfully good job. To her surprise, he suddenly smiled.

"Not to mention, you were cute," he added. She laughed.

"I _was_ cute?" she challenged him, grinning.

"You're still cute," he corrected himself quickly. "But more… breathtaking, now."

The answer wasn't what she was expecting, and once again her cheeks heated up as she blushed.

"My dad had his eye on you from that day on. He still worries about you and I," she said with a laugh.

"As he should," Link replied, leaning down to kiss her neck. Her body froze and she lifted her head slightly, the heat in her face intensifying. He planted kisses up to her jaw line, his lips lingering just above hers after placing one directly next to her mouth. Their breath was hot, against each other's lips, but Link moved back slightly. Zelda's eyes flicked up to him expectantly, looking surprised.

"If I win tomorrow…" he looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"Then you'll get some new clothes and be on your way to knighthood," Zelda said carefully, keeping her voice steady. He moved towards her again, his legs holding tighter around hers and his arm keeping her from moving away. He bit her ear softly, and she tensed, letting out a breath in surprise.

"Then I want that kiss," he whispered, his hips pressing softly towards hers. He moved back then, gave her a smile, and sat up.

"You can stay," she said suddenly, watching him as he stood up from the bed and stretched his arms up, yawning.

"I could," he said thoughtfully, walking towards the door, "but I need all the sleep I can get so I can win tomorrow. And staring at you would keep me up all night." He paused once he got to the door, opening it carefully and quietly. He turned around.

"Thanks for the motivation," he whispered, and after blowing her a kiss, pulled the door shut.


	2. Searching

Rather than getting up early like he'd planned, Link found himself sleeping in on the morning of the Wing Ceremony. He turned over to lie on his back, yawning. His eyes watered and he wiped the sleep away, staring up at the ceiling.

"What a strange dream…" he said to himself. It was quiet then, and he mulled it over. A strange, big black beast, with a mouth full of teeth and no arms… and a strangely familiar voice. Something about his destiny.

Lost in thought, he was shocked and surprised when his window seemed to fly open. He jumped, sending himself out of bed and onto the floor, where he blinked and stared up at the ceiling. Moving his head back against the wood, he found himself face-to-face with Zelda's loftwing. The lavender-coloured bird stared at him, tilted its head back and forth, and then spat a letter at him before ducking out of the wooden window. He flinched, and then stood up, rubbing his head from the fall and opening up the letter.

"_Hey, sleepyhead. I know you said you were gonna get up early, but after losing all that sleep last night, and knowing how you are with getting up early in the first place… I thought I'd help you out. Rise and shine, Link! Come meet me on the Isle of the Goddess. And… thank you for last night. Now hurry up! _

_-Zelda"_

Amused, Link smiled and tucked the letter into his pockets. Lifting his arms above his head, he stretched one more time and found his clothes for the day before heading out of his room and jogging upstairs. He passed by Pipit, who grinned and waved at him.

"Hey, Link! Ready for the Wing Ceremony? You'd better try hard. I haven't seen you practicing at all out there," he said, smirking slightly. Link watched Pipit carefully. It was tough to say whether the kid was nice or not, but he always seemed to have some sort of strange anger towards Link, and he couldn't figure out why.

"What are you talking about? I've gotten tons of practice in," Link protested, widening his eyes as he slowed to a stop. Pipit stared.

"But- I haven't seen-"

"Man, aren't you a knight apprentice and stuff? Don't you patrol the academy at night? You'd better work on your awareness," Link said, shaking his head. Pipit's jaw dropped, and after a moment his eyebrows furrowed. He lifted a finger, ready to say something, but Link interrupted. "Anyway, I'm off to get a couple last minute flights in. You'd better wish me luck, you know, being a friend, and everything," Link said with the most genuine smile he could manage, before heading out the door.

He waved quickly at Instructor Horwell, who nodded back, but looked somewhat confused. More interested in making it to Zelda on time, Link broke into a run across the bridge, and up the wooden steps that led to the Isle of the Goddess. The sun already felt hot on the back of his neck, and he rolled up his sleeves, slowing to a jog as he passed under the large stone archway.

The wind picked up now that he was higher, and he took in a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air. Some sort of music distracted him, however, and he looked forwards to see Zelda standing on the circular stone platform in front of the Goddess, holding a harp. The tune was soothing, and her voice was like honey to him. Even from behind, she looked gorgeous - of course, she was all dressed up for the Wing Ceremony. She was playing the part of the Goddess this year, and who better? He walked slowly towards her, waiting for her to finish a stanza of the song before talking.

"Good morning," he greeted her happily, feeling more awake and alive with every moment.

"Link," she smiled, and she paused. "Isn't this cool? This harp is apparently a replica of the one the Goddess used!" she held it up for him to see, and he smiled, his happiness escalating as he saw her so bright and cheerful. "And I had to make this wrap myself. It's necessary for the ceremony," she added, smiling. "So? How do I look?"

"Perfect," Link replied, and Zelda smiled. The two of them watched each other for a moment, and Zelda must have thought about the night before, as a blush crept onto her face. Before Link could tease her about it, a familiar voice distracted them.

"There you two are. Are you both ready for the Wing Ceremony?" Link and Zelda turned to see Gaepora, the headmaster, and Zelda's dad, approaching.

"Nice to see you up and awake so early, Link, given your capacity for sleep. No doubt you're competing to spend the post-race ritual with Zelda, yes?"

"I'm going to give it my all," Link assured him, grinning. The large, white-haired man narrowed his eyes but then let out a hearty laugh.

"For Zelda, it doesn't surprise me!"

Zelda sighed then, and Link and Gaepora looked at her in surprise.

"He hasn't gotten any practice in yet," she fretted, gesturing to Link. He frowned. "I'm worried he's not going to make it. What if- Goddess forbid it- what if Groose won? I don't want to have to do the ritual with him! This ceremony should be for Link!"

"I'm not letting that pompous, big- headed egotistical cocky-" Link paused, and Zelda slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Link! To talk about a fellow student that way," Gaepora lectured him, though he didn't seem too serious about it. "Anyway, if you don't win, it's all because you didn't get enough practice in. However, the confidence you have comes with good reason. You and that bird of yours have an intense connection."

Link grinned beneath Zelda's hand, and she finally took it away, tucking her harp in a pouch on her back.

"That Crimson Loftwing of yours is something else entirely! Needless to say, it's up to your skill to win the ceremony, not your bird's."

"That's why you're up so early, isn't it, Link?" Zelda looked at him expectantly. "To get some practice?"

"Y-yeah," he stammered, but when he looked up to the skies, he felt strangely disconcerted. He didn't seem to sense his bird. Without realising it, Zelda had moved forwards and grabbed his arm, dragging him towards a wooden launch point.

"Go on! Let's see you show off like you used to," she grinned, and he cast one last scared look at her before she pushed him off the wooden platform. His stomach sank as he fell, and bringing his hands to his mouth, he let out the whistle he used to call his bird. Nothing happened. Again and again he tried, and soon enough he'd fallen quite a distance. He flipped in the air, staring up desperately at Skyloft, only to see Zelda flying down towards him on her bird. She got underneath him, and he landed hard on top of the bird, clutching desperately at the reigns to try and get a grip. Zelda took one arm and wrapped it around him, holding tight as they flew back upwards to the floating island.

They landed in the grass and slid a few feet before coming to a stop; both Link and Zelda tumbled off of the bird. They held tight to each other, and once they'd stopped, both let out a sigh of relief. Link opened his eyes and gave Zelda an unimpressed look.

"Sorry, Link! I didn't- well, what happened?"

"My bird's not there," he said angrily, lifting himself up off the ground and folding his arms. He took a breath to calm himself, and turned around, offering a hand to Zelda, who hesitantly took it and stood up.

"Sorry. It's not your fault."

"No, I shouldn't have pushed you off like that," she protested. Her dad walked towards them, chuckling heartily.

"What a strange phenomenon… and the two of you bicker like an old married couple! Link, you must find your bird before the ceremony begins. Talk to Instructor Horwell. We will delay the event to give you time to figure this out," he instructed.

Without missing a beat, Link cast one last look at Zelda and ran off back towards the Knight Academy, picking up several stamina fruits as he went. By the time he got to Horwell, the bells for the ceremony had already rung.

"Hey… my bird- it's lost- you gotta talk to Gaebora, he's gonna delay the ceremony for me."

"Are you sure this isn't just so you can get more practice in?" the instructor asked sceptically. Link's jaw dropped.

"No! Zelda pushed me off the ledge and had to save me because it didn't come, and-"

"Yes, yes, I was just joking. Seems like this all hangs on feather or not you can find your bird."

Link gave him a bored expression, and nodded, rolling his eyes slightly. "Yeah…"

"Well, no time to waste. I'd suggest you hurry, Link. Good luck!"

It wasn't a tough call to figure out who to look for, and so Link jumped down onto the pathway below where they were standing, rolling and running straight for the plaza. He just had to ask around to see if anyone knew where Groose was. If there was anyone who would mess with his bird, and his chance to win the Wing Ceremony, and more importantly- to participate in the post-race ritual with Zelda- it would be Groose.

Luckily for him, as he slowed to a jog in the plaza, his gaze settled on a trio of people in the shadow of the Light Tower. There was no mistaking those figures- Strich, Cawlin, and in the middle, receiving shoulder rubs, was Groose. Link could tell his red pompadour from anywhere.

"…all that scratching and pecking." Strich's voice.

"Of course. A big Crimson Loftwing like that won't go down without a fight," Groose scoffed. Link frowned, walking towards them, arms folded. They stood up, Groose flexing his shoulders. As Cawlin and Strich turned around, they looked shocked and backed away, slowly. Link lifted his chin slightly.

"What's this about a Crimson Loftwing? _My_ Crimson Loftwing?" he asked, his voice seething. Groose turned around and let out a noise of surprise.

"Link! Well- uh- how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough!"

"I know what you're here for!" Groose said then, smirking. "To talk about the race. To beg me, the mighty Groose, to go easy on you, right?" he asked, and then brought his face in close to Link's. "Well, I've only got one thing to say to that: tough! I'm gonna kick your wimpy ass! And that time with Zelda at the end… mm, yep, it's gonna be all me."

"Get your ugly mug out of my face," Link snapped, and Groose backed off, eyes wide with surprise.

"This is what I love about you, Link. You talk the talk, but I haven't seen you practicing one bit! We all know how you and Zelda go way back. Think you're something' special, don't ya? Well, that friendship isn't going to save you in the Wing Ceremony. It's all up to skill and macho!"

"Enough of this crap! Give me back my bird!" Link's hands turned to fists, and Groose raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah? You wanna take me in a fight? No matter how many times I beat your face into the mud, you still come back for more!" "You might have muscle, but you're dumb as a post," Link said dismissively. Groose clenched his teeth, raising a fist.

"You wanna say that again, airhead?"

"I said, you might have muscle, but you're dumb as a post!" he exclaimed, and then shut his eyes tight as he waited for the impact from Groose's knuckles. It was an unfortunately familiar situation.

"Stop right there!"

Link opened his eyes in surprise to hear Zelda. Turning around in surprise, he watched her push past him to face up to Groose, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You'd better straighten up, Groose! On the day of the Wing Ceremony, at that. You'd be disqualified for injuring a competing student before the race," she said in a matter-of-fact manner. Frustrated, Groose dropped his fist and put on a dopey smile.

"That's quite the nice outfit, Zelda," he complimented her, pushing Link out of the way. He staggered back and quickly made his way back to her side.

"Stop picking on Link," she snapped, and Groose shrugged it off.

"Pfft! Whatever. I don't need this." He turned, and Strich and Cawlin followed him quickly as he stormed off away from them.

"What a prick," Link said angrily. Zelda turned on him.

"You can't go out picking fights like that all the time!"

"What? I heard him talking about my bird! It had to be them, they hid him away somewhere!"

"I don't want you getting hurt, Link," Zelda said resignedly, her shoulders dropping.

"I get hurt a lot," Link protested, frowning. "A couple punches from Groose is nothing anymore. I'm used to it."

"I wish he wouldn't bully you so much. I don't understand why it's just you, too!"

"He likes you. You _know_ he likes you. He's jealous of me," Link explained. Zelda looked at him sceptically.

"I suppose. I don't know, anyway. It seems silly to me, two guys fighting over a girl."

"I'd fight anything for you," Link blurted out, and Zelda looked at him in surprise.

"Now that's really silly. Anyway… I'm gonna fly around and see if I can spot your bird anywhere. You keep asking around!" Without another word, she ran off the wooden platform at the end of the plaza, and within moments was up in the air, soaring over him and the rest of Skyloft.

He ran back towards the Isle of the Goddess, thinking that he'd have a good view from up there, but as he got to the wooden steps, a yell distracted him.

"Hey! Link! Over here."

It was Pipit. Glancing down towards the sparring hall, he could see Pipit and Fledge standing there, looking up at him.

"Pipit… and Fledge?" Link muttered outloud, scratching the back of his neck in confusion.

"I've got some info! Come on down!" Pipit yelled, waving his arm.

After jumping down to where they were, Link watched Pipit expectantly.

"So?"

"Fledge here knows what happened to your bird. Dontcha, Fledge?" Pipit stared at the smaller boy in an intimidating manner. Fledge looked up at Link guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Link, I wanted to tell you, but… well, Groose, Cawlin, and Strich were all talking about their plan to kidnap your Loftwing… something about it being near a waterfall. I tried to get out to warn you, but they grabbed me! They said if I told anyone, well…"

"Thanks for telling me. Don't worry, I've had my share of getting the shit kicked out of me by Groose," Link admitted, and then looked at Pipit, who nodded along.

"Pipit," Link said, watching him. "Pipit."

"Yeah, yeah," the knight apprentice sighed, "me too."

Fledge seemed slightly relieved then, and smiled half-heartedly at Link. "You should check your map, Link. It must be the waterfall at the edge of Skyloft. There's a cave there."

"It's full of monsters, even in the day," Pipit added, shaking his head. "You'd better ask Eagus if you can borrow the practice sword."

Link nodded once, and entered the doors that were behind the group of boys, making a beeline for the door at the edge of the room. He grabbed the sword, and, confident in his abilities, made his way to the door.

"Wait- Link? Where are you going? That sword isn't to leave the sparring hall."

"Commander Eagus, um.." Link turned around sheepishly. "Groose hid my Loftwing in the waterfall cave somewhere. I've got to go rescue it so I can participate in the ceremony today."

It took a moment for the info to sink in, and the older man shook his head in disappointment. "I wouldn't put it past him. Well, you've always been a good swordsman- just don't hit anyone, okay? Skyloft is a peaceful place! And if anything went wrong, well, it'd be my fault in the end, so just… don't hit anyone."

"I'm not going to attack anyone," Link said incredulously. "I'm not like that."

"I know! I know," Eagus sighed. "Just… okay. Good luck then, Link! Go find your bird!'

By the time Link had gotten to the waterfall cave, he was beginning to panic about missing the ceremony, and his anger towards Groose had grown into something poisonous. He slashed away at the wooden stakes barring the way to the cave.

"Stupid fucking Groose, with his stupid fucking hair," he muttered, walking into the cave with his sword drawn. Keese and globs came at him and he slashed away at them, hardly paying attention to what he was doing.

"Thinks he's gonna spend alone time with Zelda? With _my_ Zelda? What's he gonna do? She doesn't like him," Link hit away some more keese absently, and then ran up another steep slope. He brushed away droplets of water that were falling on him from above.

"Thinks he's all that. Everyone hates him, except for Cawlin and Strich, Two cowards. Cawlin, Strich, and Groose, one short, one tall, one asshole…" Link flipped his sword in his hand and plunged it into a glob monster, unsure of what their real names were. They were always just globs to him.

It wasn't long until he was in the final room, and, after defeating the array of monsters that threw themselves at him, he sheathed his sword and ran out into the light. When he got out there, he only took a few steps before he heard the cry of a Loftwing- Zelda's bird.

She landed on the grass next to him and stood up quickly, straightening out her dress.

"Pipit said you were here, looking for your bird. There's a spot just up ahead where Groose and his friends always hang out- let's take a look over there."

When they got to the bottom of the slope, Link and Zelda stopped in surprise to see the Crimson Loftwing pent up behind planks of wood, tied with ropes at the end.

"That's him!" Zelda exclaimed, but Link had already made a run for the cave, slashing away at the ropes with the sword. It wasn't long until the planks fell to the ground, and his bird crept out of the cavern carefully, finally stretching his wings and letting out a grateful caw.

"He's okay," Link sighed in relief, and Zelda came up beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"About time we headed back to the ceremony, huh? It's a good thing we found him. Oh…" she trailed off, her gaze averting to the clouds below. She walked slowly to the edge, and Link followed her warily, taking her hand once he got to her side. Her fingers twitched in response, and her grip became tighter.

"It's that calling again… I can hear it. Someone is down there. It's like a plea… I don't know why, Link, why am I hearing this?" she looked at him in confusion, and he turned to her, placing a hand on the side of her face.

"I don't know how to say this, Zelda, but… you're going insane."

She stared at him for a moment in surprise, until a smile broke through his straight face, and then the two of them laughed.

"Don't do that!" she said, grinning at him.

"Sorry," he laughed. "You know… I had a strange dream last night, too. Maybe it's connected. I'm sure we'll get it figured out, between the two of us."

"You're right," she nodded, relaxing a bit. "Thanks, Link. Well?"

"Let's go," he agreed, and the two of them jumped off of the platform, each whistling to call their birds, both of whom flew down to catch the two teens immediately.

"Do you really think you'll be ready?" Zelda called out to Link, who grasped the reigns of his Loftwing tightly. He exchanged glances with his bird.

"Yeah," he called back, grinning.

"I believe you," she replied, and the two of them headed for the plaza, where the Wing Ceremony would take place for the 25th year.


	3. The Wing Ceremony

When Link and Zelda landed on the plaza, Zelda ran off to find her father to explain to him that they were ready for the ceremony to start. Planning on maybe grabbing a drink before the race, Link headed for the bazaar, until he was distracted. Someone dropped their hand onto his shoulder.

"Link! Well, well, word is you found that scruffy bird of yours."

"Yeah, thanks for hiding him in a pen," Link retorted, turning around angrily, brushing off Groose's hand.

"What?" the boy backed off. "What a ridiculous accusation. I'm only planning on winning fair and square, and yet they delayed the race for you! All the pre-race warm-ups me and the guys did were for nothing. I'm all stiff now."

"Sorry, princess," Link said with a bored expression.

"Don't think we haven't missed the looks you throw around," Groose continued, pointing a finger at Link. "Ooh, you and Zelda are BEST friends! You think you're pretty suave, don't you? Huh?"

"I'd say so," Link replied with a grin, putting his hands on his hips.

"Pfft! What a dope. I bet you can't decide what to have for lunch without her!"

"And I bet Cawlin and Strich dress you every morning," Link snapped back. The two boys behind Groose exchanged confused glances. Groose stood up straighter.

"That sailcloth Zelda made is gonna be mine. You remember that. At the end of the day, it'll be me and her, alone at the ceremony, and not you. I hope you're ready for a disappointment. I'm gonna bust up this little fantasyland of yours real good. Oh yeah… that sailcloth… Zelda's sailcloth. I bet she was thinking of me when she made it. It's gonna be our special moment… all alone…" He crouched over slightly, giggling. Link glanced sideways as Zelda approached, a smile forming on his face.

"What's this about our special moment alone?" Zelda asked, folding her arms and looking even angrier than she was earlier in the day.

"Oh! Zelda!" Groose turned to her, blinking in surprise. "Um- nothing. Nothing. Just uh… the end of the ceremony. The one who plays the goddess has that special moment, you know, alone with the winner, and uh… boy, I can't wait for a fair race to see who gets it!" he laughed sheepishly, casting a glare at Link.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go stretch some more before the race starts." After gesturing for Cawlin and Strich to follow him, he walked off a little bit and the three of them crouched together; they seemed to be plotting something. Zelda let out a sigh, and Link turned his attention to her.

"What a perv! You've got these guys beat, Link. I know you do."

"I know. As if I'm going to let Groose spend the ceremony with you…" Link said with a smile, and Zelda relaxed her shoulders as he walked up to her.

"I'm waiting for that kiss," he said quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling at her. She dropped her eyes to the stone of the plaza, trying not to blush again.

"Y-you… you have to win that, first. You know, I'm not going to just… give in and… Well, even if you do win, what do you expect? That the two of us- did you just want a kiss? What, I mean- what do you want?" she stammered, and Link watched her in surprise.

"You'll see," he finally said after a moment. She looked up at him, frowning.

"I don't like being in limbo, Link!"

"It won't be after the race," he said reassuringly.

"I don't care! I mean, if you like me, why don't you just-"

"I like you," he interrupted her, leaning forwards and kissing her cheek. "But you don't deserve just anyone. Even if it doesn't matter to you, I need to prove myself… especially against Groose."

Zelda stared at him, and he dropped his hand off of her shoulder. She stomped her foot on the ground.

"You're such a guy! I can't believe you!"

Link only grinned in response, and the bells for the ceremony rang. Gaepora and the Instructors lined up next to the Light Tower.

"Alright, time for the Wing Ceremony! Students, please assemble!"

"Good luck," Zelda said as she passed behind Link to stand next to her father. Instructor Owlan greeted them.

"Alright! The rules of the ceremony are as follows! I've attached a small statuette to this bird." He gestured to a golden coloured loftwing next to him. "When I give the signal, jump off of the ledge and mount your loftwings. Whoever catches the bird and attains the statuette will be this year's champion. I want a nice, clean race!"

"That goes double for you, Groose!" Gaepora snapped, and the red-haired boy frowned.

"Whoever wins this ceremony will graduate to next year's class, bringing them one step closer to knighthood," Owlan continued, "and will receive a gift from the young woman chosen to play the goddess. This year, as you all well know, the role of the goddess is performed by the lovely Zelda. The gift, in honour of the 25th year of our institution, shall be presented high atop the Statue of the Goddess."

The group nodded along.

"Alright, gentleman! Assemble! On my command, the race will begin."

After a moment, the four of them- Cawlin, Strich, Link, and Groose- had all lined up. The bells rang once, and they broke into a run to the ledge, where each of them dove off the edge. After a moment, Link whistled, and his loftwing flew down, picking him up.

The four of them took off at a fast pace, with Link heading in front at first, tailing the golden loftwing carefully. It made rather erratic movements, but after a moment, Link was able to make a reach for the statuette- until Groose rammed into him from the side.

Letting out a yell, Link and his bird tumbled midair but caught the wind again.

"This is my day to shine! Stay out of it!" Groose snapped, before charging ahead, making a beeline for the golden bird.

"How do you like egg on your face?" The question caught Link off guard, and he looked to the other side to see Cawlin and Strich grinning and holding eggs. They obviously weren't in this for themselves; just for Groose's win.

They tossed them, and Link gasped and him and his loftwing flew upwards, going higher and higher until they were far above the three competitors and the golden loftwing.

"Alright, let's go… we can't let Groose have this win," he called over the sound of the wind, and his loftwing let out a cry as they dove down towards the yellow bird. Groose was reaching out, his fingers about to grab the statue, but Link and his bird flew straight down in between the both of them. In a split second, he grabbed the statuette, and they recovered from the dive smoothly, lifting up. Link cast a glance back at Groose just in time to see his jaw drop.

"Good luck next year," he called back, laughing as he flew back towards Skyloft, the bird statue in hand. As he got closer, he heard a yell, and saw Zelda jumping off the plaza towards him. Tucking the statuette away, he grabbed the reigns of his loftwing and urged it to go faster. Just in time, they flew under, and Link caught the girl, and her harp. She wrapped his arms around him, giving him a tight hug as his loftwing took over steering.

"That was some brilliant flying, Link," she said, finally pulling away from the embrace. "You're amazing."

"It was nothing," Link replied happily.

"Now, to the statue of the goddess! We'd better finish up the ceremony," she said with a smile, and the two of them and his loftwing flew up towards the Isle of the Goddess.

They stopped next to a platform about three quarters of the way up, and after jumping off the bird, marvelled at the view for a moment.

"Okay…hand me that statuette."

Link complied, and Zelda placed it in a small hole in the rock, turning it carefully so that it faced outwards. She pulled her harp from her pouch, and after casting a look at Link, began to play and sing.

"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess… Unite earth and sky… bring light to the land."

She stopped, and after a moment, put her harp away and turned back to look at Link. He couldn't believe her. The music was beautiful, but her singing voice… It was gorgeous. He felt like he was zoning out for a moment, but then shook his head and gave a small smile.

"You're a great singer," he sighed.

"Really? I don't think so myself," she replied, laughing nervously.

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, taking a few steps towards him. She held her hand out, and for a moment he didn't understand. It dawned on him when she let her eyes fall shut, and so Link took her hand and kneeled down.

"Great Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony. Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk… In accordance with the old ways, I now bestow the blessings of the Goddess upon you."

Link dipped his head, strands of hair falling down over his face as he shut his eyes. He could hear her working with some sort of fabric, and she'd taken her hand away. He looked up to see that the white cloth around her shoulders was gone, and she was holding it out to him.

"The blessings of the Goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass onto you."

He stood up slowly, taking the cloth in his arms and holding onto it.

"Wow. It smells nice," he said, pressing it to his face and glancing up at her from above the fabric.

"Quit goofing! This is a sacred ritual," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"Link, you… You know what happens next, right?"

"I get that kiss?" he asked, and Zelda simply smiled and walked up to stand next to him, their faces several inches apart. He leaned forwards, but she placed a single finger over his lips, and he looked at her in surprise.

"Not yet," she whispered, and she put her hands on his shoulders, spinning him around to face the other way. "You jump. You've got to land in the circle in the center," she said. Link dropped his gaze down to the round platform at the bottom of the statue.

"Ready or not," she laughed, and he felt her push her forwards. Shocked, but nonetheless knowing what he had to do, he fell straight towards the circle, gaining momentum until the very last moment, when he whipped out the white sailcloth. His feet swung forwards and he had to grip the white sheet as hard as he could, but it nonetheless stopped his fall, and he landed softly on the stones.

He stood up groggily, folding the sheet and tucking it away. That was the second time he'd been pushed off something by Zelda that day. Turning around to see if she was still up there, he saw her running from her loftwing towards him.

"That was perfect, Link!" she exclaimed, beaming. "You know… it's said that the Goddess gave the sailcloth to her chosen hero, long ago. I'm… really glad I got to give this to you, today, Link. Thanks for winning and coming up here like you promised."

"Anything for you," Link said, nodding. "And the sailcloth works really well. I'll take care of it," he added. Zelda nodded in return, smiling. She clasped her hands together and then looked down at the ground.

"You know, since… it's so nice out, and you won and everything… want to go fly around for a little while? Just you and I?"

It didn't take long and they were both up in the air, soaring above the clouds, side by side. Link looked over at her, and Zelda looked back.

"You should join me over here," he said with a smile.

"What?" she replied. "Why?"

"Because I want you closer," he replied shamelessly. Amused with his antics, her and her bird flew above Link and his, and she dropped down carefully to land behind him. She wrapped his arms around his chest.

"There. I'm closer," she replied, resting the side of her head on his back. He glanced at her over his shoulder.

"I was actually thinking about that kiss," he said.

"I know," she replied absently, her eyes falling shut as she relaxed more. "You know… Link… what we were talking about earlier, with… how things are going to be for us now… well-"

A flash of light and a bang interrupted her, and they both let out a yell of surprise. Looking forwards, there was a large black and brown tornado.

"What is that!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Hang on!" Link yelled, grasping the neck of his loftwing and pulling it back. She tightened her grip on him, pulling herself against him with all her strength.

"Link, it's pulling me down," she screamed.

"Don't you dare let go!" he snapped, trying to direct his loftwing away from the dusty storm. "Don't- Zelda!" he yelled, feeling her hands slip away from each other. He flipped backwards, wrapping his legs around his loftwing's neck and hanging upside down in order to grasp her arms. She stared up at him in fear. He held tight to her arms, and for a brief moment Link could see his mother in his mind, falling down, fast through the tornado. What if this was what took his parents down- what if it hadn't been an accident?

"Climb up me," he instructed, but she didn't respond. "Hurry up!" he urged her. Her face seemed frozen, her grip slipping.

"Zelda," Link pleaded, his bird finally pulling away from the tornado. "ZELDA!"

His scream seemed to snap her out of it, and she took a breath as if she hadn't been breathing. Her grip tightened, and she climbed up Link's arms, grasping onto the reigns of his loftwing and swinging herself up on top. She reached down to help him up as they flew at top speed back towards Skyloft. Zelda turned, only to see that the tornado had disappeared- there was no sign it had been there at all.

They landed behind the statue of the Goddess, and both of them walked shakily to the grass, where they slumped down and sat next to each other, leaning against a large wooden wall. They were quiet, breathing heavily. After a moment, Zelda threw herself sideways at Link, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in her chest. She was shaking, and he could feel the wetness of her tears soaking through his shirt.

"Shhh," he whispered, dipping his nose to her hair. "It's okay. It's okay," he said, but his voice was shaking, and he couldn't hide the fear hidden within it. Nothing like that had ever happened before.

"It's like it- something wanted me," she gasped, clutching fistfuls of Link's shirt. "It was trying to take me down. It was so evil, Link, what… what _was that?"_

"_I don't know," he replied, staring at the grass as the wind rustled it. "I could feel it too, though. It wasn't me. It was only pulling on you."_

"_I'm so scared, Link," she replied, choking back tears once more. He pulled her closer._

"_I'm here. It's okay," he replied breathlessly, his heartbeat slowing._

"_You saved me," she muttered, her words muffled by his shirt._

"_Yeah."_


	4. The Chosen Hero

Catnip- thank you so much for your comments! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. :)

* * *

That night, after trying to explain to Gaepora what was going on, Zelda and Link were sent to bed, to "get their rest" and hopefully "everything will be clearer in the morning". To Link, it seemed like a long shot. As much as he wanted to sleep and rest, when he lied down in bed and placed his head on the pillow, he was unable to sleep. It was fine, anyway; he wanted to stay awake. After a couple hours, he'd go visit Zelda again. She was scared, and even Gaepora admitted he'd never seen her that worried about something. Link couldn't help but shudder, remembering the strange force that seemed to tug on Zelda, pulling her away from him. It was something. It wasn't just a freak tornado. Those were avoidable, rare, and… never so dusty and black.

It seemed like a bad omen. Knowing that Zelda was still scared, and most likely still awake, Link hated being stuck in his room. He couldn't leave, however, until the Instructors stopped their patrol, and until Pipit was outside on night guard. His mind flicked back to the image he'd seen of his mother. It was tough to remember her face, but it was still clearer than his father's. She was pretty, with dark brown hair that she always had down. He could still feel it drifting over his face, like it would when he was sleeping, and she would bend over him, humming him lullabies. But, when he was only 9 years old, she disappeared- her and her dad.

The thought that the same tornado might have taken her life plagued his mind. After all, no one had actually seen the accident occur. The knights guessed that they ran into a sharp, rocky island, because there was evidence there that someone had bumped into it. Still, his parents had both been great fliers. It had always seemed like a strange reality to Link, believing in the stories the knights and Gaepora had told him. When they died, for lack of anywhere else to go, Link was granted early admission into the Knight Academy. He'd been in the same room now for almost 10 years.

A strange, familiar sound interrupted his thoughts. It sounded like someone speaking backwards, and it sounded like the same voice that had been in his dream the night before, speaking to him, calling him 'Master.' Confused, he lifted his head, and the words became clearer.

"You are to play a part in a great destiny," it spoke.

There was no doubt about it. The voice was coming from outside his door, and so Link stood up, rubbing his eyes. He opened his door as carefully as possible, peaking outside to make sure that none of the instructors were there. Sure enough, the room was empty. In the corner of his eye, Link saw something floating near the stairs, and he whipped around to look at it.

"…Hello?" he asked, his eyes coming into focus in the dark. It was a tall, slender figure, hovering a foot or two off the ground. It seemed to be a girl, but not any sort of human. Curiously, he walked towards it.

"Who are you?" he asked again, but as he got closer, the entity simply moved back, up the stairs, in one fluid movement. The action took Link by surprise, and he had to stop himself from making any noise in surprise. He looked up the spiral stairs to her, and the strange girl poked her head over the railing, giving him the slightest smile. It dawned on him then: he had to follow her.

He jogged lightly up the stairs, following whoever it was past Zelda's room, and out the second-floor doors of the Knight Academy. She continued moving back as he went towards her, until she'd led him up the stairs to the Isle of the Goddess. Instead of going towards the statue, however, she veered sideways, a move that caught Link off guard. He turned sharply to follow her, jumping down onto the ledges beneath the island. He gave a couple slashes to the Remlit that was there, feeling sorry but also terrified out of his mind when it threw itself at him. It was a good thing Gaepora hadn't taken his practice sword away at any point. It took a few monsters, some jumps, and climbing until they were back on top of the Isle of the Goddess, and the strange, floating blue girl led him around to the front, stopping in front of the arch-shaped block with the Hylian Crest carved into it.

"Wait- stop!" Link ran forwards against the stone as she disappeared into the statue, but to his surprise it disappeared completely. He stared in confusion at the dark tunnel in front of him, and felt a gust of wind blowing from behind him. A few leaves flipped past his feet down into the statue, and he took a deep breath. This wasn't a dream. It didn't seem like something evil- not like the tornado that had come earlier that day. He had to go.

For a little bit, it was completely dark, but then he could see a light up ahead, as well as the blue figure, floating above a sword. His eyes immediately fell to it, and he hardly paid attention to the rest of the room as he walked towards it aimlessly. The figure hovered down, between him and the sword. He looked at her curiously, relieved to see her up close. She had an approachable look about her- definitely not a threat.

He glanced around the rest of the room for a moment, noting the torches and the all-around… age of it. The sword, as well, seemed to be glowing. The blue figure watched him.

"The one chosen by my creator… I have been waiting for you. You will play a role in a great destiny."

"It was you," he said suddenly, "you're the one I've been hearing."

"Yes. According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal information. Fi is the name I was given," she said, nodding to him. "I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memory of your people. I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry."

She paused, then, before continuing and looking back at the sword behind her. "Come, Link. You must take up this sword. As the one chosen by my creator, it is your destiny."

Link took a few steps forward, but then hesitated.

"The dreams… it was your voice," he said. "What's going on?"

"Under the circumstances, it is only logical that you would exhibit some apprehension. Allow me to share some information. The tornado that attacked you, and honourable Zelda, was a ploy to drag her down to the Surface. This destiny is not only your burden, but hers as well. The spirit maiden, the one you call Zelda, is fated to be part of the same great mission. Consequently, should you wish to embark on your destiny with her, I highly recommend you take up this sword before beginning your journey."

His mind suddenly reeling with information, and yet more questions, Link found himself walking forwards at a fast pace to the sword. Fi lifted up into the air, watching him with an amused look on her face.

"I see further persuasive measures will no longer be necessary. In the name of my creator, draw the sword and raise it skyward."

Watching her move back to the side, he approached the sword and, grasping it with both hands, lifted it out of the stone. He pointed it upwards, and a blue light shone all the way down it. Link felt a charge surge through his body. It felt like pure energy. He marvelled at it for a moment, until Fi began speaking again.

"Recognition complete. Link… my master."

"Link!" a deep voice came from behind him, and Link turned around to see Gaepora walking into the room. The old man's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

"I was wondering if this day was coming soon… This sword has been glowing recently, but I thought for sure I was seeing things… and yet here we are. The youth of legend has taken up the sword. I never thought this day would come to pass in my lifetime. The very knowledge of this room is secret, except for a handful of people each generation… along with a few words." He stopped for a moment to clear his throat. "_When the light of the Goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will awake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred. The youth will be guided by one born of the blade- one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable._"

Fi nodded.

"Ah, yes, the oral tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission. It seems that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations." She lowered herself to be eye-level with them before continuing. "_The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the Goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade by his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below… and united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light resurrects the land._"

Link dropped his shoulders, surprised at the heaviness that suddenly fell upon him. To go- to the surface? Him and Zelda, to fly down there? How were they supposed to get down there? Fall?

"You must go below the clouds to complete your mission. It is the only way to fulfill the legend," Fi continued, sensing his hesitation.

"This is a great mission, Link… the- the world of the surface- it's a forsaken place! No one has ever travelled there and come back, not in living memory!" Gaepora exclaimed, but Link declined to take his words seriously. He'd never seen such a strange floating figure, and his sword had just been charged with a crazy blue light, and earlier that day him and Zelda had nearly been taken down there by a tornado- he'd believe it. Anything. Whatever it was, he wanted answers. He had to go down there, him and Zelda, both.

Fi moved then, and what Link figured were her arms, flowing, wavy protrusions, seemed to summon a large stone tablet. It floated down to him, and he took it carefully, running his hands along the weathered stone surface.

"This tablet will illuminate a path through the clouds to the land below. Place it within the altar behind me," she said. "First, you must hit the crest with a Skyward Strike. When you raise your sword, it charges with pure energy. Release the energy by swinging the sword."

After giving the practice sword to Gaepora, he moved forwards, and Fi swung out of the way as he got towards the crest. Lifting his sword, he pointed it towards the sky and, once again, it was ensconced in a blue light. He pointed it at the crest in front of him, and slashed it sideways, sending a bright flash of light at the crest. It spun once hit, and after a moment, rose up, a stone altar following it from the floor. He sheathed his sword, and, moving closer, Link placed the green tablet into the altar.

After a moment, Fi spoke.

"Master Link, it is done. Until now, a cloud barrier created by the Goddess has separated the world you know from the one below. The tablet you placed in the altar has created a small rift in the barrier. You can use it to travel through the clouds. …I have recognized you as my master, and so it is my duty to follow you wherever you go. I reside within your sword and will accompany you in your travels. You may call me for assistance anytime." Without another word, Fi jumped up into the air, and curled up into a small ball of light that flew towards the hilt of his sword and disappeared within it. Gaepora let out a noise of surprise, and something attracted Link's attention in the corner of the room. He turned, only to see Zelda poking out from one of the many pillars. She was only wearing her white nightgown, and she stared at Link and Gaepora.

"Zelda…" Link sighed, walking towards her. "How much did you hear of that?"

"I followed you when I heard you walking and leaving the academy," she said, finally stepping out from behind the pillar. "I crept in here. I heard all of it."

"My daughter… the spirit maiden," Gaepora said, nodding his head to Zelda. "Will you… join Link on the journey?"

"Well… it's my- _our_- destiny, isn't it?" she asked, walking up to face Link. "I suppose… I have to."

"You both do your people proud," Gaepora said in response, letting out a deep breath. "But I suggest you two sleep, first. Get a day of rest and preparation under your belts."

They nodded, and headed out the tunnel, while Gaepora stayed back. As they made their way back to the Knight Academy, Link took care of the few monsters that got in their way. He followed Zelda to her room.

"Goodnight, Link," she said quietly as they stopped outside the door.

"I'm staying with you tonight," he replied steadily, and she looked at him for a moment before nodding and heading inside, gesturing for him to follow.

They tucked themselves into bed and lied side by side, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Now and then, Link glanced sideways at Zelda, but she never seemed to notice, nor did she say anything. Link sighed, and looked down at the edge of the bed where his sword was sitting.

"You know… Fi called me the spirit maiden," Zelda finally said, and Link looked back at her immediately. "What… what does that mean? She said you were the Goddess's chosen hero. That one makes sense. But if I'm your partner, wouldn't… that mean the Goddess herself?"

Link stared at her, and her big blue eyes flicked sideways to meet his. He looked sceptical.

"I don't know. You're… well, obviously a mortal," he said with a small laugh. "But that's a good question. She said… Fi, she said you've got a role in this, too. We're going together. We'll figure it out," he nodded, "and I'll be your hero."

"…You're already my hero," Zelda said after watching him for a moment. She turned to face him, and he mirrored her, watching her until his eyelids felt heavy and he let them shut.

"Goodnight," he murmured, but before he could drift off to sleep, he felt her moving, and all at once, her lips placed on his. He inhaled sharply, his heart suddenly beating faster than before. He opened his eyes, and before she even had a chance to smile, he moved forwards, locking his lips with hers and pushing her against the wall on the bed. Her lips dropped open in surprise, and he kissed her passionately, his body feeling like it had just been lit on fire. After a moment of shock, she returned the actions, and what seemed like a split-second, and an eternity, ended when they finally pulled away from each other. Their chests heaving, they slowed their breathing and watched each other until Zelda cuddled in closer to Link. He couldn't see it, but she was smiling.

Unsure of what to say, or what would be appropriate to say, Link simply draped an arm over her, gave her a tight squeeze, and quickly gave in to the tiredness that fell over him as he shut his eyes.


	5. Below the Clouds

When Link and Zelda woke up the next morning, they cast each other sleepy smiles and then the truth of what was going on sank in; it was day. Not just day, it was late morning, and the sun was shining through the window, bathing the two of them in a soft golden light. Link was still wearing his clothes from the last day, and his eyes widened.

"Woops," he said nervously, and Zelda let out a sigh.

"You're gonna have to try sneaking out of here and back to your room."

"Yeah… Sorry. I was gonna get up early and go, but wow, I sure passed out."

"We both did," she said with a small smile. "Now hurry up before my dad goes looking for the two of us!" Link nodded in response, but as he went to get up, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Zelda?" It was Gaepora. The two teens exchanged panicked glances.

"Link- hide!" she whispered urgently, pushing him out of bed. He staggered, bumping into her chair and knocking it over. Before he could press himself against the wall behind her cupboard, Gaepora opened the door.

"What was tha-" he paused, mouth dropping open as Zelda lifted her hands to her mouth and Link, frozen, stared back at him guiltily.

"You- don't tell me-" he looked back and forth between the two of them, and after a moment, his eyebrows furrowed and he walked towards Link, his chest puffing out.

"Wait, dad, it's my fault!" Zelda said suddenly, and Link looked over to her in surprise. Her father followed suit, folding his arms and watching the girl expectantly. "I was scared still about the tornado, and this whole destiny thing, so… I asked Link to stay with me. He wasn't going to at first, but…I couldn't handle the thought of being alone at night after all that," she said, her gaze dropping to the bed sheets. Gaepora sighed.

"…Fine. Still, Zelda, you know the rules of the Academy. As do you," he added quickly, glaring at Link, who stood up straight and nodded.

"Anyway, I… oh! Link, I have your knight uniform. And Zelda, even though you're not a knight, Karane sewed you together your own knight uniform she wants you to wear on your travels… It's, erm, quite pink, I hope that's alright."

"That's fine," Zelda said with a smile, brightening up. "So… you told everyone?"

"Oh, um," Gaepora paused, and then let out a long breath. "Yes, we had a meeting this morning. They all know the nature of the situation. Fame doesn't always come so nicely, so I urge you too to resist being cocky… Especially you," he added, looking at Link.

"It won't be anything like that," he replied, walking forwards to take the green uniform from Gaepora.

"Now, if you two would be so kind as to change in your own rooms, I'll be in my headquarters." He nodded to the both of them, his eyes lingering on Zelda before he left, leaving the pink uniform on the end of the bed before he did so. Link looked at her in confusion.

"He's… not very good at goodbyes, is he?"

"No," she replied, frowning. "It's fine though. You'd better go get changed. I'll meet you outside, okay? We should probably hit the bazaar before we leave."

Link nodded in agreement, and headed for his own room, where he changed into his new knight uniform. He finally pulled his boots on, and they fit snugly. The wooden straps worked well to hold his new sword, and he adjusted them briefly before pulling on his hat. He paused to look at himself in the mirror, and Zelda's words repeated in his mind: "Before we leave." Leaving. It was weird. He'd never imagined a world other than Skyloft, but now… He had to plummet down below the clouds. It seemed like a strange coincidence that it was Zelda and him, too, and not anyone else. There was no doubt in his mind that Groose was calling bullshit on the entire situation. _Let him be jealous_, Link thought dismissively, and headed out the door.

When he walked out, he saw Zelda coming down the stairs, dressed in her new knight uniform. For the most part, it was the same as Karane's, except the colouring was pink instead. She adjusted the round cap as she walked down, fumbling with a few strands of hair. Link stared at her as she came down, and suddenly he felt someone poking over his shoulder.

"She looks just perfect, doesn't she?" He glanced sideways in surprise to see Karane there, her chin resting on his shoulder. He blinked a few times, and then nodded absently.

"It's my handiwork, you know," the girl continued, moving back and turning on her heel to stand in front of him. "I know she's not a knight like me, but I always knew Zelda would look great in a knight uniform! After seeing her in her Goddess costume yesterday, I realised I had to make one in pink for her! Good timing, right? No girl wants to go adventuring in a dress."

Zelda nodded with a grin as she approached, and Link laughed a little bit.

"I guess that's true. That's pretty impressive craftsmanship," he agreed, and Karane simply put her hands on her hips and smiled.

"I know. So… you guys, well, I heard about everything that happened. When are you leaving?"

"Today," Link replied, exchanging glances with Zelda. "We've got to go to the bazaar first to pick up some supplies. That's where we're heading now."

The girl pouted, and turned to Zelda, looking disappointed.

"I had another story about Pipit… oh well. You two better return safe and sound for visits! Zelda is the only girl I can talk to here! And what with Groose and his cronies, well, I dunno where I'd be without Pipit. Even Fledge is a welcome relief from them," she added with a laugh. Zelda walked forwards to give her a hug.

"Don't worry!" she said as they pulled away. "We'll be fine. Link will make sure of that," she added, casting a proud look at him. "You'd better take care of all the guys here for us. Don't let them get out of control or anything."

"You've got it," Karane replied, and she waved to Link and Zelda as the two of them left the Knight Academy, heading for the bazaar. The sun shone hard on their faces as they left and headed down the stairs, and the two of them noticed at the same time that something in the sky was different. A green pillar of light had appeared, and at the very bottom of it, a hole in the clouds had formed. Before they could say anything, Fi popped out of Link's sword, appearing to float ahead of them.

"That is the rift in the cloud barrier you two must go through," she explained, looking back at it. "I suggest you prepare yourselves properly before you depart. My projections show that shields and health potions will be of much use." Without another word, the indigo entity disappeared again into the hilt of Link's sword. From behind them, towards the Knight Academy, they heard a yell.

"W-wait! I made you guys something!" Fledge was awkwardly running down the steps toward them, and he nearly tripped at the end, grasping onto the railing to stop his fall. He rummaged in a bag and pulled out several pouches, which he handed to Link and Zelda.

"They're adventure pouches. You can put things in them, like bottles, shields, well… stuff like that," he said, scratching the back of his neck with a nervous smile. "I made them myself!"

"That's amazing, Fledge!" Zelda exclaimed, clipping hers to her belt. Link followed suit, giving the younger boy a big smile.

"We needed these. Thanks."

"Be careful down there. You guys are inspiring," he added, and then walked back up the stairs the way he'd come down.

Without any further distractions, they headed to the Bazaar, and headed straight for the man who sold shields and a variety of other items. The only one he had in stock was wooden, and it seemed useful enough, although it did have a large red sign on it that read "WILL CATCH FIRE. EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE. DO NOT KEEP NEAR OPEN FLAME. IT IS WOODEN. MADE OF WOOD."

"Can I get… two of these?" Link asked, pointing to it and turning his attention back to the shopkeeper. The man, excited and flustered, quickly grabbed two from his storage and passed them to Link and Zelda, taking the rupees Link gave him with joy.

"Great! Thank you! Very good, come back soon," he stammered, and they nodded in return, thanking him as they turned around to see the lady who made potions.

"Hey, you two! With the golden hair! I've got a special treat for you! I heard you're going on an adventure, so I'm giving you two empty bottles, for free!"

She grinned widely, holding the two bottles out.

"Wow, thank you," Zelda said happily, but as her and Link reached out to the bottles, the lady held back.

"On one condition - you've got to buy my potions. Judging by your knight uniforms, you're going to need them by the cauldron full!"

"Not a problem," Link replied, and took his empty bottle as the lady smiled once more and held them out. The two of them paid 20 rupees each, and scooped up some of the heart potions.

"Hopefully we don't use these too much," Zelda said thoughtfully, staring at the red liquid before stuffing the small bottle into one of her pouches. Link watched her, slightly disconcerted, but shook the thoughts away quickly. They'd be safe. He knew what he was doing. The surface couldn't be all that bad, could it?

"Well… you ready?" he asked, and she nodded as they walked out of the large tent.

"Let's take your loftwing again, okay? I just don't want that whole tornado thing happening again," she said.

"Sure," he replied, and the two of them stopped on the edge of one of the large wooden platforms. They looked at each other, and Link took one of Zelda's hands before they both jumped off into the sky. He whistled with his free hand, and suddenly a mess of red feathers flew beneath them, catching them and soaring up, higher into the air. Link grabbed the reigns, and Zelda held on tight to the bird as they flew towards the large green pillar of light.

"We'll return, right?" The question took Link by surprise, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Zelda staring back at Skyloft, growing smaller the further they flew. He was lost in thought for a moment. Would there be a way to return to the sky? What if they would be stuck down there forever, in order to save the world? What if this was a sacrifice mission? Nonetheless, he couldn't share those thoughts with Zelda.

"Of course we will," he finally said, tightening his grip on the leather straps that his loftwing wore. "I'll make sure."

Zelda didn't reply, and it was quiet then except for the wind as they headed towards the light. They began going lower and lower, and finally as they got closer to the light, his bird began to reject the idea of going any further. Fi popped out of his sword.

"You may travel to the surface by diving down through this hole in the clouds," she said, keeping speed with them. "Master Link," she nodded to him, and disappeared. He looked over at Zelda as they got closer and closer to the rift. She reached over and took his hand.

"Okay," she yelled over the wind, and all at once the two of them dove off the bird, soaring downwards through the clouds. It was all very green at first, but then the landscape below began to come into view. A great lake, a massive forest… It looked all too easy to get lost in, and Link was amazed at the sheer number of trees. His focus landed now on where it looked like they'd be falling, and he was surprised to see a very spiral-shaped hole in the ground. They seemed to be falling very close to the edge of it.

"You've gotta grab the other side of the sailcloth," Link yelled, and Zelda nodded in understanding. With his free hand, he whipped it out, and Zelda reached up to grab the other side. It filled with air resistance and they slowed immediately, their hands tight around the corners of the sheet. Once they landed, they took a breath and studied their surroundings. Link moved to the fence, staring down at the center of the spiral landscape they were in. Something ominous seemed to be at the bottom of it.

"Oh, Link, look at this," Zelda said, and he turned to see her standing next to a tall bird statue. It was the same as the ones on Skyloft. They stared at it for a moment, and Zelda began brushing moss off of it, when Fi appeared once again.

"Master Link, honourable Zelda," she greeted them. "We have arrived. This is the fabled surface that has long been part of Skyloft legend. By my calculations, you are now currently positioned in a location known as the Sealed Grounds. Please proceed with caution," she advised, and flipped upwards back into the sword.

"Well… looks like there's only one way to go," Zelda said, gesturing to the path that led along the fence. Link nodded, and the two of them flipped their shields onto their backs, Link drawing his sword and holding it tightly as he walked just ahead of Zelda. A strange plant seemed ingrained in the ground, and as they drew closer, a strange protrusion whipped out of it, forming a slobbering plant-like head that watched them carefully. It snapped out, chomping its teeth just inches away from where Link was standing. Zelda held her shield in front of her as Link bashed it's head with his sword several times. It didn't seem to be working, but then he remembered what Eagus had taught him- he had to slash it at the right angle.

A quick swipe sideways was enough to split the creature in half, and it fell to the ground defeated, exploding, its dark purple shadow floating upwards with a faraway cry of agony. Zelda shuddered. It took a few more until they'd found the end of the path, and ahead of them was a large temple. Link paused, walking instead to the edge of the earth where he could look down at a strange floating object, down in the middle of the spiral. It seemed strangely foreboding, and he frowned looking at it. It felt evil, even from a distance. After a moment, the world around him disappeared, and he could see that large monster- the one with black scales, endless teeth- coming up out of the hole. It roared at him, and as it attacked, he clenched his teeth and brought his arms up in front of his face. When he finally took them away after nothing had happened, he was standing right where he'd been all along. It was just a hallucination.

Zelda had headed to the temple, unaware of Link's temporary panic attack, and marvelling at the large wooden doors and the vines that crawled up and down the sides of it. It was a large stone building, built into the side of the cliff.

"It… feels like I've been here before," she said, running her hands along the wood. Link turned around to look at her. "It's really familiar," she added, turning around to smile at him. Seeing the worried look on his face, however, she walked over to him.

"What's wrong? Oh-" she cut herself off as she looked down through the spiral, and frowned, squinting her eyes. "That… doesn't seem right at all."

"I'm gonna go down and see it," he decided, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Should I come with you?"

He paused, but then shook his head. "Nah. I'll be right back, just stay here where I can see you, okay?" he added with a smile, and she shrugged, nodding. He jumped, then, and it only took a few jumps until he finally landed on the bottom, rolling and standing up in front of the large floating spike. He tensed, feeling like a huge weight had been brought down upon him, and suddenly he could hear a voice.

"_Young one…Child of destiny descended from the sky… Raise the sword of the Goddess skyward… Take aim at the evil aura and unleash its power…_"

Confused, but also willing to get rid of the horrible sense of evil that had overcome him the closer he got to the spike, he rose his sword and let it charge with energy. Slashing it forwards, he sent a streak of light flying at the spike, and the dark swirls that had surrounded it dissipated. The strange aura of the area seemed to fade away, and various holes around the area suddenly blew spouts of air upwards. He turned around, seeing Zelda at the top, waiting for him. She still looked confused. Fi swung out of his sword, turning around to face him.

"Master Link, I'm sensing a change in the area that was triggered by your Skyward Strike. I have also detected that the doors of the temple above are unlocked, unlike they were previously."

"They… just unlocked?" he asked, sheathing his sword.

"My projections conclude the doors were unlocked within approximately the last 30 seconds," she replied, and flipped up and around again to disappear. Link pulled out his sailcloth again and headed for the spouts of air, which he used to move upwards, back to the Temple. He landed on the wooden platform next to Zelda.

"Apparently, the doors are unlocked now," he told her, and she blinked. "They were locked before?"

He shrugged in response, and the two of them headed towards the doors. They each took one and pushed it open, walking in slowly and carefully, studying their surroundings. The great wooden doors swung shut behind them, sending dust into the air. There was moss and grass growing through the stone floors, and light shone down through the a large hole in the ceiling near the end of the temple, illuminating a lone figure sitting on the ground. There were several other rooms, but Zelda walked straight towards the figure, with Link following warily. As they got closer, it was revealed that the figure was an old lady. A braid of hair, spun into a spiral pattern, hung down and swung back and forth like a pendulum. Her robe was long, and it stuck out like a tent in the top, moving higher than twice the height of the woman herself.

"Hello," Zelda greeted her, crouching down to the figure. Link stood next to her, one hand on the hilt of his sword. The old woman chuckled slowly.

"Do not fear me, child of fate," she said quietly, a small smile forming on her face. Link dropped his arm. "Tell me, what are your names?"

"I am Zelda," the girl said, sitting down to be eye-level with the woman. Link stayed standing.

"Link," he said simply.

"Ah, Link and Zelda. Good. I have sat here for many years waiting for you to arrive, all so that I could fulfill my purpose as your guide. You stand under the roof of the Sealed Temple, a place built by the Goddess an eternity ago. Your arrival here was predestined many, many years ago. The spirit maiden, and her chosen hero…" the woman trailed off, and a single eye peeked open to look at them. "There is no doubting it. The gears of fate have begun to turn. Yet all is not as it should be… evil forces are at work here. It moves to warp the destiny of which you two are a part of."

"Evil forces?" Zelda asked, and Link looked up through the hole in the ceiling. Trees had begun growing over it, creating a speckled effect with light and shadows over the area where they stood.

"Link, you are concerned for the spirit maiden, fair Zelda, and seek to protect her, yes? It is understandable, but I must tell you that your paths will separate."

"Separate?" he asked quickly, distracted by the question.

"Yes. Your destinies, although intertwined, require separate purposes. Though for now, everything is as it should be, and you have arrived here together, there will come a time when she will be taken away from you."

Link and Zelda looked at each other worriedly, and Link took a small step forwards towards the old woman.

"I can't let her get hurt," he protested. "I have to protect her. I want to be there with her, whatever it is."

"Your duty seems to be something that you have known all your life, whether you were aware of your destiny, or not," the woman said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I will assure you that as long as there are no interferences, Zelda will be safe, despite your absence. Following your own paths is the only way to make sure of this."

Sensing his unhappiness, she continued. "That will not come for some time. For now, your focus lies in Faron Woods. Bring out your map," she said to Link, who retrieved it from his pouch pocket. He folded it out, and the old lady pointed to an unmarked area on it.

"That is Faron Woods. You can get there through the side doors of this temple. It is unfamiliar land, and many monsters have settled here. And so, I will grant you the power to make beacons. When you mark a blue circle on your map, a column of light will appear there. It will serve was your waypoint from afar," she concluded, and drew a small blue circle at the end of a path on the map.

"When you leave, you will see the beacon. Head for it, and you shall find yourselves in Faron Woods. On your way out, take the contents of the treasure chest within this room. What you find there should prove useful on your journey."

The pendulum of hair swung again, and the lady let out a small mumble as she faced the side doors. Link and Zelda turned to look at it upon hearing it click.

"You are ready. Leave through the door before you, and head into the woods. I wish you both safe travel. Know that all the questions you have will be answered in time. Go bravely."

Nodding in return, the two of them opened the treasure chest to find two revitalising potions, a useful liquid that repairs shields and grants a few hearts. They each pocketed one, and headed out the large doors of the Temple, greeted again by the sunlight and the sound of small birds chirping. Up ahead, beyond the trees, they could see a small pillar of blue light.

"That's the beacon there," Zelda said with a smile, pointing to it. Link nodded.

"I guess… this is where it really starts," he replied, turning to face her. "I can't believe… the two of us have to split up at some point."

"That won't be for a while," Zelda reassured him, though she didn't look particularly thrilled by the thought either. "We don't need to worry about it now." "Yeah. Let's go, then!" he said with a grin, and the two of them, linking hands as they took their first couple steps, headed into the wilderness.


	6. Faron Woods

Eeep, sorry this is a bit late, guys! Had a crazy few days! I'll be updating the next chapter tonight, in a few more hours. There's gonna be a (hopefully) pleasant surprise, and surprise character introducing himself in the next one... He's not even in Skyward Sword, but considering I've already deviated from the plot, I don't see why... oh well, you'll find out eventually. :) Sorry if this chapter is a bit dry, the next one should be considerably faster paced and more hardcore!

Thanks so much to everyone who's subscribed and commented. You guys are the ones motivating me to keep writing! Hope you continue to enjoy it!

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The forest was full of strange noises, but as Link and Zelda continued their journey down the path from the Sealed Temple, the birds and bugs were drowned out by something much sharper. It was not something either of them had heard before, and they looked at each other worriedly before pressing on, their pace quickening as they got closer and closer to the source of the sound. They stopped on the edge of a small cliff, staring down at several figures in a clearing. One, much larger than the rest but also unarmed, stood in the middle, trying to shoo off about five red creatures. They had ugly features that matched the sounds they emitted as they harassed the larger brown one, waving their swords in the air, surrounding it.

Letting go of Zelda's hand, Link jumped down into the clearing, rolling once he hit the ground in order to break his fall, and drawing his sword. The sound distracted the monsters, and they turned, their eyes narrowing, mouths smirking as they turned their focus to him. They licked their lips, growling and screeching as they moved closer. Link could feel his heart beating. He had no idea how strong these guys are, and there were five of them, and only one of him. Zelda had no weapon, only a shield, but at least she was on high ground in case anything bad happened.

Nonetheless, as they got close enough, he began to slash away at them, and found that they were deterred and taken care of easily. They flew back as he flipped and jabbed at them, their eyes widening as they realised that their numbers were dropping. It didn't take long until Link jumped, plunging his sword into the chest of the last one, and flipped backwards. The monsters exploded into puffs of purple smoke, their evil spirits floating up with quiet groans.

Link sheathed his sword, and smiled a little bit, proud of his efforts. They hadn't been all that difficult.

"Your arm!" Zelda cried, jumping down and running towards him. He glanced at his left arm to see a gash in it. Not too deep, but it was bleeding, and blood began soaking into his shirt. Ripping out a strip of fabric from her pouch, she lifted the sleeve of his uniform and wrapped it tightly around the wound.

"Thank you," Link muttered. "I didn't even notice I'd been hit."

"That was impressive though, Link," she reassured him. "You took them out like it was nothing."

The large brown creature that had been in the middle dropped his arms and let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Whew! Thanks for rescuing me. I wasn't expecting to run into those red pests in such a peaceful forest. And you! What are you supposed to be? This is certainly strange," he trailed off, apparently lost in thought for a moment. "Though I guess I owe you big for dealing with those loud guys! My name is Gorko, a Goron. I'm researching the ancient history of these woods. According to the texts, there is someplace way up in the sky called the Isle of the Goddess. Apparently, these old statues…" he wandered off a little ways, stopping next to a familiar bird statue. Zelda followed him, smiling as she ran her hands along the moss. "well, they're supposed to serve as landmarks for those travelling up or down from the sky. If you find one, be sure to examine it! There's said to be quite a lot of them. This one is supposed to be the key to the other statues, to activate them, of some sort…" he folded his arms, grumbling thoughtfully. "It all sounds crazy, but I for one believe it to be true!"

Link glanced at Zelda with an amused smile, and she gestured for him to come closer. He walked up, staring at the moss-covered statue thoughtfully, and all at once it began to glow. The green that had grown over it faded away as if into thin air, and the accents on the statue became a bright orange colour. The Goron took a small step backwards, and Zelda lifted her hand off of the statue. Link stared. It reacted to him. Any doubt he'd had about being the chosen hero disappeared now, after listening to what the Goron had said.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. "Did you use some kind of magic?" he asked Link, not giving the boy time to reply. "The statue reacted the moment you got near it, bud. How crazy is that?"

"Come on, _bud_," Zelda said jokingly to Link, taking a few steps away, towards the large blue beacon that was in the sky. "We've gotta keep moving."

The Goron seemed unfazed, and he continued to stand at the statue, watching it carefully. Link waved goodbye as he followed Zelda down another path. It took little energy for both of them to move a log in order to access a higher ledge, and they found themselves climbing straight into Faron Woods.

Fi flipped out of his sword to float in front of him and Zelda.

"Master Link, Zelda; you have entered Faron Woods," she stated. "The plentiful water in this region clearly sustains a large diversity of flora, including this massive tree," she explained. Link and Zelda tilted their heads, staring up in awe at the tree that took root in the center of the woods. It seemed like the same size as the statue of the Goddess, back up in Skyloft.

"It is logical that the lush plant life and water resources have attracted animal species to the region," Fi concluded. She flipped up and over into the sword again, and Zelda clasped her hands together.

"It's gorgeous! I love it down here," she exclaimed, and led the way with Link following close behind. They passed another bird statue and swung across a small gap, landing on the other side, only to hear the familiar screeching again.

"How many of those guys are there?" Zelda asked quietly as they got closer. Link drew his sword, slower this time so that hopefully they wouldn't hear him. Still, as they neared, they could see that the two monsters were facing some sort of plant growth- but it was shaking.

"That thing- it's a thing?" Link asked incredulously, hearing the small plant beg for its life. He didn't have much time to mull it over, however, as the monsters began heading towards him.

"Fi!" he called, lifting his shield to block an attack. The blue figure appeared again, looking at the red monsters with a blank stare.

"Bokoblins," she said after a moment. "These are evil creatures brought forth by a stronger enemy. They are weak, but you must get past their defense. It would seem that they are more focused on the spirit maiden than they are on you," she added, and flipped into the sword again. Link took out the first one, only to see that the second had ran past him to Zelda, who was blocking its sword attacks with her shield.

Letting out a yell, Link jumped and stabbed his sword through the monster, flinging it away into the clearing. It hit the wall with a yelp and exploded, a green rupee falling out onto the grass. Immediately, he turned back to Zelda.

"You okay?"

"Of course," Zelda replied, hanging her shield on her back. "We should see if that… um.." she looked at the small, quivering plant in confusion, unsure of what to call it. It stood up, revealing itself to be some sort of rodent with a plant on its back. When it turned around and saw Link and Zelda, it squealed.

"Oh no! Kweee! Now there's green ones too? I didn't even know they came in-"

"We're not monsters!" Zelda protested, lifting her hands up and smiling. "We're not here to hurt you. Link here scared off those bad guys," she said, and the small creature looked at her curiously.

"…You're right… koo…"

Fi popped out again, then, and the little creature jumped in surprise.

"Master, based on this creature's characteristics, I must conclude that it is a peaceful, forest-dwelling animal known as a Kikwi. Kikwis are intelligent beings capable of speech."

After Fi disappeared again, the Kikwi perked up.

"She was right, kee-paleep! I'm Machi! You guys seem okay, even though you're scary. Thanks for the help. You two don't seem like you're from here, kwee."

"We're not," Link replied, scratching his head. "We're not really sure where we're going."

"Koo-kwee, your best bet is to find my elder! I bet he can help you out. He knows all sorts of stuff!"

Link glanced at Zelda, and she shrugged. He looked back at the Kikwi with a smile.

"Sure."

"Great, koo-weep! Since you're heading that way anyway, can you tell the elder that I'm safe? He worries so much, kwee." The little creature sat down then and began picking grass out of its toes. Fi popped out again, prompting the Kikwi to assume its defensive position, face-down on the ground.

"In order to find the Kikwi elder, I am granting you the ability to dowse. Items and creatures elicit auras that I can memorize. Once familiarized with these auras, I am able to help you sense them, and consequently, find them. I have added Kikwis as a dowsing option. Use the goddess sword as a dowsing tool. Additionally, I will mark any Kikwis you find on your map and disable dowsing readings for them," she explained, and disappeared again. Link drew his sword and pointed it into the woods, focusing on the Kikwis- it began sending a pulsing energy that moved at varied paces, depending, Link figured, on the closeness of the elder.

"Oh… the elder is not the only Kikwi in the forest, koo-weep. There's three others that I know of. If you can find them too, I bet the elder would be more than happy to help," Machi added, standing up again.

It didn't take too long to find the three Kikwis, and it gave both Link and Zelda a thorough knowledge of how to get through Faron Woods. A few monsters here and there distracted them, but so far there was nothing they hadn't seen before, and the keese, chuchus, deku-babas and bokoblins went down relatively easily now that Link knew how to deal with them. One thing that caught his attention, and Zelda's, was a large white building in a corner of the forest, on the edge of a clearing, and it seemed to lead into another part of the woods they hadn't yet explored. When they finally found their way to the elder, swinging their way across a gap to get to him, the large Kikwi was pleased.

"Kew… so you say you've found the other Kikwis and they're safe, hmm? How can I trust you two strangers?"

"Their names were Lopsa, Oolo, Machi, and Erla," Zelda said, counting the names off on her fingers. The Kikwi elder let out a hearty laugh. Link dropped his shoulders in relief; he hadn't remembered all of their names.

"Koo ho ho! I can feel my worries flowing away, koo-kwee. Glad to know all m fellow Kikwis are well. I don't know who you are or where you come from, but you have my thanks."

"Is there another way out of this forest? Do you know what the white temple there is for?" Link asked curiously.

"Temple? Kwee hee hee, the temple is in the Deep Woods. That white building near the great tree is simply a viewing platform, an entrance to the Deep Woods, so-to-speak. …But there are many monsters there! Us Kikwis are safer here, koo."

"We probably have to go to the Temple," Zelda said, and Link nodded.

"Sounds about right. Why else would we be in here?"

Zelda nodded, but the elder continued before they could leave.

"Oho! I nearly forgot. As thanks, I'm giving you a precious Kikwi heirloom." The large elder rose his arms, and Link, upon realising what he was about to do, grabbed Zelda's arms and dragged her out of the way as the large fluffy creature hit the ground. The plant on his back opened up to reveal a slingshot, and Link jumped up to grab it. Upon sliding down, the elder resumed standing.

"Kwee heh heh… that should help you find a path to the temple through the Deep Woods. I don't know what you need there, but I wish you all the best, kwee. It's quite dangerous."

Link glanced sideways at Zelda, who let out a yawn. It was already late in the afternoon.

"We've done a lot of traveling today," he admitted as they walked towards the temple at a slightly slower pace.

"Yeah… but we should find somewhere safe to camp, rather than in the middle of nowhere," Zelda said with a sigh. Link nodded.

"Let's get to the temple and stop there. We can go in in the morning, alright?" he suggested.

"Sure," she agreed, and the two of them walked in silence until they finally arrived at the top of the white structure in Faron Woods. Taking out his slingshot, Link shot at a curled vine up in the trees. Link went first this time, swinging up onto a higher ledge. He reached down, helping Zelda up, but she paused when she reached the top, and turned around to look back at the viewing platform.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, pocketing his slingshot. Zelda shook her head.

"I thought someone was over there," she said in confusion, and Link followed her gaze.

"I don't see anything," he said, confused. "Maybe a bokoblin. They can't get us up here," he said with a smile, and Zelda nodded, though she still seemed disconcerted as she followed behind him through a tunnel.

It was short, and they emerged on the other side in a new part of the woods. Once again, Fi popped out of the sword.

"Master Link, Zelda; I have confirmed that the plant life here matches that of Faron Woods. We have reached the area locally referred to as the Deep Woods. We should continue to the Temple."

Fi flipped back into the sword, and Link and Zelda continued forwards, defeating a few bokoblins here and there. There were wasp nests in this part of the woods, and so Link took them out with the slingshot, making sure the two of them kept their distance. They crossed a tightrope and walked down the path, only to see that the Temple was across a large gap.

"Wow," Zelda said breathlessly. "It's huge."

Gigantic tree branches spiralled out from the building, creating a sort of ominous look for the structure and the woods themselves. Link stared at it evenly.

"What do you think is in there?"

"I don't know," Zelda replied, shaking her head. Link frowned; it didn't seem like a very welcoming place. The Kikwis seemed to have been somewhat uprooted by the bokoblins, and even Fi had said that they were here on behalf of a stronger enemy. Someone had brought them here.

Eventually, he tore his gaze away, moving to the side to hang on a ledge. He cast a look back at Zelda to make sure she was following him, and they moved carefully to an area where they could cross another tightrope.

"This is terrifying," she said, her voice shaking as she looked down into the abyss below the rope.

"I don't like to look down," Link replied, calling over his shoulder as he spread his arms out and finally made it to the end. He reached back out to take Zelda's hand as she got closer, swinging her onto the grass.

Up a few more ledges, and over a small grassy bridge, and Link and Zelda were surprised to see a familiar face. Gorko the Goron was standing next to a large grey cube, one hand on his chin. He was deep in thought, but as they approached, he looked up and a big grin spread across his face.

"Hey! What great timing! I found this thing that's definitely from one of the ancient texts. It's something the Goddess supposedly left for her chosen hero. I only remember one line about it, though, uh… _Summon the light from a heavenly blade, and may that sword's master receive aid. _Yeah. That's how it went."

"Link, that must mean your sword," Zelda suggested, poking the sheath from behind him. He swung it out, lifting it up to the sky. It filled with light, and he plunged it into the cube. All of a sudden, the cube shone a bright light and seemed to implode. It shot up into the sky, disappearing from sight. Gorko gasped.

"WOAH! That was nuts, bud! That's quite the sword you've got there! Listen, let's make a deal: you shoot off as many of those cubes as you can, and I'll keep studying them! Yeah!"

"What do you think happened up in the sky?" Zelda mused as they pressed forwards, jumping down a few ledges. Link turned, shooting another Skyward Strike at another Goddess cube that was around a corner.

"I don't know," he admitted, and as he turned to her, flustered, his hair messy and falling over his face, Zelda couldn't help but stare.

"You…" she trailed off, lifting a hand to her mouth and smiling.

"What?" Link asked breathlessly, sheathing his sword.

"You're really cute when you're tired," she finally said, and it was at that point that Link realised how exhausted he was. Training days at the Knight Academy were never this demanding- not to mention the actual threat here of being killed, or captured. He dropped his shoulders, relaxing and taking a breather. They'd made it all the way through Faron Woods and the Deep Woods to get here, to the Skyview temple. Before he could say anything in reply, though, the area got very dark.

"Oh," Zelda exclaimed, and the two of them turned to watch the sun fall behind the trees. "We made good timing," she added.

"We should make camp," Link stated, and walked forwards a bit, searching for a good place to sleep. "We could go… up in the tree? Or maybe just on the side of the temple… It looks pretty protected. I doubt we'd be found there. There don't seem to be any monsters on this side, anyway," he added, letting out a yawn and lifting a hand to cover his mouth.

Zelda gave a wary glance to the stones by the temple, and then looked back at the tree.

"I think the tree would be better," she admitted, and Link nodded.

"Safer, for sure."

"I brought some rope and a big sleeping bag," she said, pulling out her pack. "We can tie ourselves together and onto the tree. The bag should be big enough for both of us," she said, avoiding his gaze. He watched her, waiting for the familiar blush, but it never came. She rubbed her eyes, and then looked up at him again.

"You wanna go first?" she asked, and he regained his focus, nodding silently and making his way up the tree. Eventually he found a spot with two branches next to each other; room enough for the two of them to comfortably lie down, despite both of them hanging off the branches a tiny bit.

"This looks good," he suggested, and he took off the straps for his sword and shield, hanging them on a branch directly above him. He reached down, taking Zelda's pack and adventure pouch, hanging everything up on branches above himself. He laid out the sleeping bag after securing it with several ropes. Zelda began climbing then, and he reached down to help her up. He slid into the bag first, and moved as far over as possible. Zelda, after hanging her hat up on a branch next to where Link had hung his, slid into the bag next to him, making herself cozy turned against him.

"This isn't so bad," she said after a moment of silence. Link was lying on his back, and she curled herself over him. He moved one hand back to rest his head on, and he stared through the leaves of the tree to the quickly darkening sky. He'd hardly heard what Zelda had said; his mind was racing. Adrenaline was still pumping through him and he felt like he should be moving faster, through the night and day. But he knew he couldn't do that; he needed his sleep, or at some point, he'd fall apart. It didn't take long and he could hear Zelda's breathing become deeper, her hand slipping off his chest to fall to the side, her body relaxing. He cast a glance at her, wondering why the monsters had been so attracted to her rather than him. It plagued his mind for a few more minutes until his eyelids became heavy and he could no longer keep them open. Fatigue settled in quick, and he found himself dozing off fast, his head tilting sideways to rest on hers.


	7. Skyview Temple

It was a crack of thunder that woke Link up in the morning, and he was surprised to see that Zelda was no longer in the sleeping bag with him. His eyes blinked open in a frenzy, and he struggled to sit up. The spot where she'd been was still warm.

"Zelda?" he called in a panic, pulling himself up by the rope. It was then that he looked up, seeing a large tarp draped over their area of the tree.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Her voice came from the side, and Link glanced up and to his left to see her sitting on a branch just above. "I only just put this up about 10 minutes ago. It looked pretty bad out there," she added, and as if on cue, the sky seemed to open up then, rain pouring down above them. The pitter-patter was almost deafening, but the thunder was worse. He'd seen storms before, but only from above. They'd studied them. He knew it rained, supposedly, down to… well, whatever was below the clouds, but he'd certainly never been stuck in it before.

"It's so loud," he said, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Zelda nodded, fishing out a couple pieces of fruit from her pack and handing them to Link, who took them gratefully and began eating right away.

"We shouldn't wait too long to get into the temple. It's harder to judge time when we can't see the sun," Zelda said, and Link nodded absently, making a muffled sound of agreement as he ate. They packed up their stuff and prepared themselves, equipping their shields and Link finally pulling down the tarp last, folding it into the bag Zelda was carrying.

They made a quick jog to the temple entrance where they were sheltered from the rain. The forest was less confusing now, the sounds of all the birds and the bugs drowned out by the sound of constant rain. It took a moment of Link and Zelda pushing on the doors for them to realise it wasn't going to budge, but after looking around for a moment, they noticed the pink crystal up above the door. Readying his slingshot, Link fired a single deku nut at it. The crystal's pink colour faded, and it spun into several separate crystals. The door creaked, and in one sudden, fluid movement, it swung open.

They looked at each other then, speaking the unspeakable, Link figured. There was no way of telling what was in there, how big it was, how long they'd be in there, if they'd get out, or if there were monsters at all. At the same time, however, none of that mattered. They knew that this is where they had to be. This where they were supposed to be, needed to be, right here, together.

Link reached for Zelda's hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. Focusing on the stairs in front of them, they slowly descended into Skyview temple. When they reached the entrance, Fi appeared out of the Goddess sword.

"Master, and Zelda. I have bad news. The auras of many creatures reverberate throughout this temple. There will be no outside aid to help you in case of an emergency. Given the situation, I suggest you proceed with utmost caution."

After nodding to what Fi had said, the blue figure disappeared, and Link and Zelda got a good first look at what they were dealing with. Mushrooms and spores seemed to have taken over. Plants and weeds grew from cracks in the floor, and tree trunks were immersed in the walls as if they had simply twisted through the stone. The entire place seemed strangely alive, and as there was only one path to take, the two of them headed down.

At first, it was nothing worse than the Waterfall Cave back up in Skyloft. A few bats, some trees in the way, nothing too major. The only thing that worried Link was the giant spider webs; there were little spiders up in Skyloft, but they didn't make webs big enough to trap a person. Surely, somewhere, the spiders who created those webs were lurking, watching them. It was a disconcerting thought.

It took some mind-stretching and brain puzzles to finally make it into the largest room in the temple, and by that time Link and Zelda were already settled into a sort of groove. After finally unlocking the first locked door they'd come to, they walked into a large area with a huge bird statue standing in the center.

"Oh, wow," Zelda said in surprise, staring up at it as they walked towards the door at the bottom.

"Hopefully what we need is in here," Link said, bending down to lift the door open. They walked in, and their focus fixed immediately on a pile of bones in the center, and a treasure chest that had not yet been opened.

"I've been waiting for you," a voice said suddenly. Turning in surprise, both Link and Zelda dropped their guards slightly. The boy they saw, leaning against the inside of the large, hollow bird statue- he was a mirror image of Link. His hair, however, was a light grey shade, and his knight uniform, a dark purple colour, nearing black. His eyes were the first thing Link noticed, though; bright red, piercing, staring straight at him. He had a sword on his back, as well, and a shield. As Link drew his sword, so did the boy, and as Link raised his shield, his actions were, once again, mimicked.

"What's… going on?" Zelda asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two boys. "Link, he… looks exactly like you," she stammered, moving back until she was against the opposite wall. This was too strange for her to comprehend.

"I don't get it either," Link muttered, and the boy across from him, keeping his pace steady with Link's as they circled each other, began to smirk.

Fi appeared then, watching the apparent impersonator with interest.

"Master Link, this one, who looks like you, does not elicit a proper aura. I must surmise that he has been artificially created by another, more powerful. There is an 87% chance that this aura also belongs to the creator. I have added it as a dowsing option."

She disappeared, then, and the boy across from Link returned his gaze to him.

"Some funny company you've got there," he said smoothly. His voice was like a snake that sent shivers up Link's body, but he ignored the feeling as best he could. He opened his mouth to speak and found his words choking in his throat. He didn't know what to say. Everything in him was telling him to panic.

"What- what's with that," he finally stammered out, chest heaving as he glared across the room. "What Fi just said. Who created you? What are you? Why do you look like me?"

"Too many questions," the boy replied simply. "One at a time. I don't know who created me. I don't know what I am. And that is also something I'm unaware of," he answered, flipping his sword; it was also a mirror image of Link's Goddess sword, but with a black handle. "That blue friend of yours seemed to think that we could search for my creator using my aura," he added, tilting his head in curiosity. "You're not the only one who's confused," he finally said. His eyes flicked sideways to Zelda with a hungry look. Link narrowed his eyes.

"Is this a trap?" Link asked suddenly, moving forwards in an aggressive motion towards the boy. He pointed his sword straight to the boy's neck, only to catch his breath as he noticed that the black sword of his opponent was in the same position at his own neck. Zelda gasped from the other side of the room. The mirrored Link had a mischievous grin on his face, and that was clearly enough to send Link off the edge.

Every time he swung at the boy, his attack was countered by the same swing. It was like he was fighting himself. Thrusting his sword forwards, he was surprised to blink and see only a black boot stepping lightly on the Goddess sword. In a flash, the boy was behind him, and Link gasped in pain as he felt the darker sword create a gash down his back, starting at his right shoulder and dragging down to his lower left back.

"Link!" Zelda yelled as his knees buckled from the shock. He hit the ground, and was on all fours until a swift kick from the left came in contact with his side. He rolled to a stop, lying on his back and clenching his teeth, his free hand gripping his ribs in pain. The mirrored boy stood over him. Zelda broke into a run towards them, her shield out.

"Don't!" Link yelled, and he tilted his head slightly to the side to stare at her, his face twisted in pain. She stared at him, and then her attention focused back on the boy. His sword plunged down, only to stop barely a centimetre from Link's neck. He breathed heavily, glaring upwards.

"I don't know my name, my creator, or the reasoning behind why I look like you," he said in a dark whisper. "But I do know what you two are doing down here. The Chosen Hero," he snapped, and then turned to face Zelda. "The spirit maiden. I-"

Link cut him off, knocking his sword away and swinging his own foot, sending the white-haired boy to the ground. In one move, he was up on his feet, standing over his opponent. Anger taking hold of him, he kicked the boy over and gave him a matching scar on his back, this one from left to right, and then kicked him back over, just to see a dark trickle of blood rolling down from the boy's mouth- the same colour as his eyes. The tip of the Goddess sword rested on the boy's chest.

"You're going to tell us everything," Link demanded, but his threat fell short when his brain began screaming at him because of blood loss and pain. He lifted his free hand to his head and his knees became weak.

"There's no reason for us to fight," the other boy said quietly, and Link cast one angry look at him before taking a staggered step backwards. He put his sword forwards, the sharp edge of it scraping in the stone floor as he used it to steady himself.

"It's not my fault I feel so irritable all the time," the boy continued, propping himself up on his elbows as Link grimaced from his injuries. He could feel Zelda behind him, pushing up his tunic to apply more bandages, reaching around him and wrapping them around his chest, her fingers working quickly. "Like I said, I know who you two are. And I know where you need to go, and what you need to do. You came here because you need to visit the Sky Spring at the end. She needs to go there, and purify herself in the waters," he stated, glancing up as Fi popped out of Link's sword once again.

"Master Link, your health has decreased dramatically. While Zelda's efforts are helping, I highly recommend the use of potions to assist with healing your wounds." Fi turned to the boy lying on the ground then, looking interested. "What he has said sounds familiar to me and has awoken some memories. He is, indeed, correct. We must travel to the spring at the end of this Temple."

Link looked up at Fi in surprise.

"Really? So you're saying we can trust him?" he asked sceptically.

"I am unable to calculate the probability of being able to trust him. Considering that he is knowledgeable of our required duties here, however, there is a 75% chance he is also aware of our path afterwards. I do not know how he acquired this intelligence, however, I highly recommend you make use of it for the time being." She disappeared then, clearly not interested in answering any more questions. Link frowned, staring at the floor, deep in thought, as Zelda brought his tunic back down. He stood up and stretched a little bit, wincing at the pain, and reached gingerly in his pocket for a vial of the red healing potion. After drinking it, he let out a sigh of relief. The pain was already seeping away.

He turned his focus to the boy, and to Zelda, who was standing next to him with a few bandages. The boy waved it off, standing up, seemingly unhurt.

"I took the liberty of clearing the path for you to the spring," he said, casting a glance at Zelda before looking back at Link. "Is that enough for you two to trust me for now? If you let me, I'll lead you straight there. There's a lot of ways to get lost in here," he added quickly, folding his arms, and watching them expectantly. Link, his mind racing as he tried to decide what to do, walked absently to the treasure chest he hadn't gotten the chance to open. When he flipped the lid upwards, he was surprised to find a mechanical… bug? Once again, Fi appeared.

"Master Link, from the style and mechanism of this object, I must surmise that it is a remote-controllable flying tool. The sharp pincers on the front are strong enough to cut through ropes and string. It has limited endurance and can land weak hits on small enemies," she concluded, flipping up and away again.

"Okay, who is that?" the boy finally asked, walking forwards and studying the hilt of Link's sword.

"She's… part of the sword. She was sent to me by the Goddess," he added, hoping he'd remembered and gotten it right. He tucked the Beetle away, and finally came to a decision.

"We'll follow you to the spring," he said resignedly. Zelda walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I think he's alright. I think we can trust him," she said with a smile, and Link frowned, watching the boy grin slightly and turn, walking out of the room. _I hope so,_ he thought to himself, and then the two of them followed the boy in the dark clothes.

"What can we call you?" Zelda asked as they each crossed a tight rope, one by one, towards another door.

"I don't think I have a name," he replied, leaning against the wall at the end of the rope.

"You look exactly like Link," Zelda mused, finally jumping across and landing on the stone tiles. She turned to grab Link's hand, helping him over. "How about Knil? You know, Link backwards."

"Let's just make it Nil, then, you know, with no 'K' in front," the boy said, lifting open the door in front of them. "That's good enough."

"As long as it's something," Link replied, and the newly-named Nil led them down a pathway and up through another circular room. It didn't take long for them to reach another large room, not unlike the size of the bird statue one. One by one, they crossed a tightrope, Link first, Zelda second, and Nil last. Below them was a gaping abyss, dark and most likely full of fungi like the rest of the temple was. Ahead of them was a large, golden door, shut tight and sealed. When they finally made it to the other side, Link pushed on the door to no avail, and then turned, looking at Nil expectantly.

"Well? Now what? I search for a key?"

"Way ahead of you," Nil countered, pulling out a large golden carving from his own pouch. He walked past Link and it only took a moment for him to fit it into the opening in the door. They stood back, Link holding an arm out in front of Zelda, as the door opened. They walked in, slowly, Nil going ahead of them.

In a split second, there was a flash of white light, and Link turned, holding onto Zelda as tight as he could. There was a series of thuds on the side of the room, and they looked up to see Nil, pinned to the wall of the room, small bundles of blades holding his clothes to the wall. A mostly white figure stepped lightly onto the floor in front of him, his slender fingers tracing the boy's jaw line.

"Ahhh, you've done a good job. But I warned you not to get attached, didn't I?" the voice hissed, and his hand ran a gash down the boy's chest. He screamed, his head dropping forwards from the pain. Blood trickled down through his clothes, dripping onto the stone floor. Nonetheless, the cut, not unlike the one Link had given him earlier, seemed to disappear.

The unknown figure turned, and Link drew his sword immediately, gesturing for Zelda to move back. The man in front of them reminded him of Fi; he was mostly white, but he had the same diamond patterns on his legs, and blue diamond earrings. His head was the same shape as hers, despite his hair being parted way on the side, a large portion of it falling in front of his face, allowing Link to only see one of his eyes, shadowed with purple. He picked up the cape that was resting on his shoulders- a deep, burgundy colour- and dropped it on the ground underneath Nil.

"I thought that tornado I'd made would tear you up and drop you down to the surface in pieces. In the very least, deliver me the spirit maiden," he said quietly, and in one swift movement his hand flew out. The same blades that had pinned Nil to the wall flew behind Link, brushing past his hair. Zelda let out a yell as she was pinned to the wall, though it was only her arms, and she was brought to her knees. Link brought out his shield, glaring at the strange figure.

"It's just the girl that matters… Her Majesty is all I need. But clearly, you're quite competent… and it would be so nice to get rid of you now. When that tornado didn't work, I sent yourself to bring you to me instead. I knew you'd be curious," he said with a smile, licking his lips.

"Ghirahim," Nil yelled from the other side of the room. "This isn't what you said would happen!"

"There's too much heart in you!" the man snapped back, sending another blade that hit him straight in the chest. Zelda gasped from her side of the room, and Nil winced. "I was afraid this would happen. No matter; I'll toy with you when I'm done with the real problem here." He turned his focus back to Link, who gripped his sword tighter.

"I suppose you heard my name, but allow me to introduce myself nonetheless. I am the Demon Lord that presides over this land you call the surface. You may call me Ghirahim," he added, making a sound of appreciation after voicing his own name.

"I have a strong appetite for bloodshed. And I'm fond of seeing people in pain… especially your fair spirit maiden when she sees you in a crumpled, bloody heap," he snapped, and after holding out a hand, a dark sword appeared, not unlike the one Nil was holding in colour, but much sleeker and longer in shape.

"Whenever you're ready," Ghirahim said smoothly. Without any hesitation, Link ran towards him, sword drawn and ready to strike.


	8. Memories

Nil isn't really an OC. He's Dark Link, essentially; my interpretation of him, anyway. He's an opponent in several of the older games, though he does have an appearance in Twilight Princess, too. He's basically a mirror-image of Link, except, well, dark. If you google Dark Link and check out one of the wikia pages, it'll make a bit more sense. He's not in Skyward Sword, but it's fun to twist things around sometimes. He'll be a major player in the story eventually with a lot of character development on his side, as well. :)  
Also, I know this is a bit of a short chapter! The next one will be considerably longer!

* * *

Link was shocked to see that when he brought his sword down against Ghirahim, the man flicked it up, out of Link's grasp, with hardly any effort. Backing away, he looked at it, studying it with a small smile.

"Quite a nice sword for a child like you," he mused, and then looked back at Link, who lifted his shield instinctively. "I bet it's aerodynamic," Ghirahim added, and lifted his arm, letting out a yell as he threw the sword straight towards Link. For a brief moment, he thought he'd be able to catch it, but that thought was dashed away quickly and he jumped out of the way instead. The sword stuck into a crack in the swords, and he looked back in a panic to see the demon lord making his way towards it again. Breaking into a run, Link snatched it out of the way, standing up against Ghirahim once again.

"Your attacks are too predictable. Surely it can't-" before he could finish speaking, Link, with a flick of the wrist, hit him. The realisation sank in quickly and he got in a few more hits before Ghirahim backed away, clearly not happy. He lifted a hand, summoning more of those blades that had pinned Zelda and Nil. Still, these ones were not only to pin Link to the wall, but to hit him, and hurt him, and make it easier for Ghirahim to dispose of him. He rose his shield, and bashed away at the array of attacks that were sent at him, the small blades flying back to his enemy, who swatted them away like they were nothing.

"You can't use your shield for everything," he snapped, and crouching down, he moved towards Link with a speed the boy didn't think was possible. His long, dark sword shot out from the side and sent Link flying to the ground with a grunt. He stood up, shaking his head groggily as he looked out, surprised to see that his opponent was no longer visible. One look at Zelda's suddenly surprised face was enough to tell him where he was, and he spun around, hitting the man squarely in his side with the sword. He hit at him again, slashing away until Ghirahim disappeared once more, appearing on the other side of the room, a hand at his head.

"Tch. You're strong, hero. I promise, if you get in my way again, I won't go so easy on you. The result will not be the same, and that spirit maiden will be mine!" he growled, looking at Zelda angrily. The blades around Nil fell to the ground, and the boy ran at Ghirahim with a yell, sword raised, quite the same way Link had done earlier.

Shakily, the demon lifted one hand up to Nil, and the boy's expression dropped, his shoulders drooping. He sheathed his sword, and then fell limp. Ghirahim tossed him over his shoulder.

"Wait- what are you doing with him!" Zelda cried out, struggling against the blades holding her against the wall.

"Making some modifications," Ghirahim said simply, and with one swing of his dark, sleek sword, him and Nil disappeared.

Link ran to Zelda then, slightly slower than before now that he had a gash on his side in the same spot where Nil had kicked him earlier. He pulled the blades out of the wall, releasing her clothes and revealing several cuts and scratches on her arms, and holes in the fabric.

"We'll have to get Karane to patch this up," Link said softly, and Zelda nodded quietly as she stood up, Link following suit. They looked at each other for a moment until Zelda finally let out a sigh.

"I can't believe that. That guy, he's the one who made that tornado," she said, walking out into the room past Link. He turned and watched her as she went, but she turned around quite quick, coming back to Link and placing a hand on his side. He took a sharp breath in, feeling pressure on not just a bruise, but now a cut.

"We have to get going to the spring. We can go back up to Skyloft after and get some more potions, but you can take mine for now," she said, handing him their last bottle of the red liquid. He cast her a grateful look before he drank it, sticking the cork stopper back in and handing it back to her. It took effect almost immediately, and although he certainly didn't feel absolutely fine, it was still a relief, and he stood up a bit straighter.

They headed for the door at the end of the room, with the Hylian crest on it, and as they got closer, it began glowing a bright blue colour. The door faded away, just like the one to the statue of the Goddess had back up in Skyloft. Taking each other's hands, they headed down the tunnel. When they came out the other side, both of their mouths dropped.

It was a stark contrast from within the temple. Small stone platforms led towards a shrine for the Goddess at the end, and a couple trees grew out of the water, which was only a couple feet deep, if that. Cliffs surrounded them, deep forest at the top, and at the end of the spring were various small waterfalls, filling into the area.

"It's beautiful," Zelda said suddenly, and Link tightened his grip on her hand, prompting her to turn and look at him. He smiled, and she let out a laugh, going up on her toes and pressing her nose against his.

"I'm glad we got through that. You were amazing, Link."

"Anything for you," he replied, and she pulled away from him, letting go of his hand to jump on the platforms towards the small statue of the Goddess. Link scanned the area once more, and noticed something sparkling at one of the waterfalls. Jumping into the water, he made his way over carefully, several fish and smaller water creatures darting in and out of his way as he did so. Small pink sprites were floating in and around the water, which seemed clearer than the rest.

Pulling out an empty bottle, he herded one of the little sprites into it and watched as it flicked around inside the glass. He stared at it in awe for a moment until Fi came out of his sword.

"Master Link, you have caught a fairy. These small sprites are capable of healing you. Their powers are much stronger and more accurate than a potion's. If you die, they are also capable of reviving you," she added, and Link stared at the sprite with even more amazement than before.

"Zelda," he called, "pass me one of your bottles! …Zelda?" he turned in surprise to see her, standing on the last stone platform, apparently lost in thought. He walked forwards, but a flash of light stopped him, and he stared up in amazement as a harp appeared midair. It floated down towards her from the Goddess statue, and Zelda took it in her hands, eyes wide. She lifted a hand to her head and fell down to her knees.

Link ran towards her, clambering up onto the platform next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey," he said, shaking her slightly. "Are you okay?"

"I… wow…" she was breathing heavily, and her eyes fell shut as she clutched the harp tighter. "It's like… all of this information just rushed into my head. Well, not information, but… memories," she finally concluded, her eyes flicking open as she stood up. Link watched her carefully, and she shook her head.

"They're not my own memories. They're someone else's. They seem to… be from a long time ago. They're so familiar, though…" she trailed off, and Link looked at the statue of the Goddess, wondering if perhaps the same thing would happen to him. When he saw the phoenix crest, however, he suddenly remembered the one up on the Isle of the Goddess.

Drawing his sword, he lifted it to the sky and let it charge with energy before slashing it in the direction of the crest. It spun, reacting to the energy, and let out a bright light. It was now that Fi popped out of his sword, and Zelda stood up, the two of them watching her as she hovered above the water, ripples floating out from beneath her.

"Master, I have a message written in the language of the gods of old. Allow me to translate it for you." She lifted her cape then, and began skating along the top of the water, spinning occasionally as she spoke. "_From the edge of time I guide you, the one chosen to carry out the Goddess' mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. You stand in one of these places: Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring. This second spring is hidden deep within the scorched earth of Eldin. The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task entrusted to her, must set out for this sacred place._"

As Fi spun beneath the crest, a large tablet appeared at the statue of the Goddess, and it floated down to Link in much the same way the harp had gone to Zelda. It was like the one he'd received in Skyloft, but a different shape, and with a red gem inside rather than green.

"Master, I suggest you take the tablet to the alter in Skyloft. It will likely open a new column of light, allowing for travel to Eldin, where we must escort Zelda to the spring."

It didn't take long for the two of them to travel back through the temple, now that the monsters were gone, but Link couldn't help but notice that Zelda was surprisingly quiet the whole time. He was dreadfully curious of the supposed memories she'd received; what happened in them? Who was she? Still, he didn't want to barrage her with questions, so he simply led the way until they reached the bird statue outside. He brought out his sail cloth, and Zelda, giving him a small smile, wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as tight as she could as a bright orange light shone out from the top of the bird. A gust of wind and light shot the two of them upwards, propelled by the sailcloth, and lifted them back above the clouds. Shudders ran through Link's body as he looked sideways to see Skyloft. Home. They'd made it back safely, this time.

He whistled, and with a cry of happiness the red loftwing flew down and picked up Link and Zelda, soaring up into the air as Link took hold of the reigns and Zelda kept her arms around his waist. They flew straight towards Skyloft.

After receiving a ridiculous amount of hugs, questions about the surface, and gifts to help them with their journey, Link and Zelda finally found their way back to the Knight Academy, where they headed straight for the nurse, who gawked at all of the scratches on Link's torso. Stripped down until he was just wearing his pair of khaki pants, she dressed his wounds and made small-talk with Zelda, who sat on the other side of the room in her nightgown. It was late by the time the nurse finished with Link, clearly not impressed with the way he'd been treating himself.

"I'll be more careful next time," he assured her, holding his clothes in one arm as he headed out with Zelda. It was dark, most likely close to the middle of the night, and as they looked down the hall, they could see Pipit heading out for his regular outside guard.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Zelda asked quietly, and Link nodded, following her up the stairs to her room. When they got in, Link placed his clothes on the chair at her desk, and gingerly moved into bed with her, being careful to keep his cuts safe.

"These memories are like nightmares," she finally said, and Link looked at her in curiosity. "There's this great beast, with these giant teeth, and he's made of black scales and… he's filled with all the evil in the world. Like he's the very source of it," she said with a shudder, bringing the blankets up over her shoulder as she turned to face Link. He thought briefly of the monster he'd seen before in his own nightmares. It had to be the same thing, but before he could say anything, she continued.

"And there's hordes of creatures. Bokoblins and monsters made of bones, giant flaming creatures and large sea creatures and… they're chasing away everyone. It's an attack. It's war. And Hylia is there."

"Hylia?" Link asked in confusion.

"The Goddess," Zelda corrected herself. "The Goddess Hylia. She was entrusted with this great power. I don't know what it is, but I think she must have used it to fight back. But… it's hidden, somewhere. I think these memories must be Hylia's memories," Zelda continued, and Link turned, staring up at the ceiling.

"If we go to the Earth Spring, like Fi said, I bet I'll get more of those memories. I'm sure they'll help us on our quest. And Fi will be able to tell us where to go next," she added. "Hey, Link… what did you think about Nil?"

"I don't know what to think about him. He looked exactly like me. When we fought, he… well, he fought the same way I did, but with a step up, you know? But then… Ghirahim… he must have created him. I don't know how he did that."

"He's a demon lord," Zelda said, but then sighed. "I don't know exactly what that entails, though."

"Me neither," Link replied, shaking his head. "He's got the physical part down about Nil. But that thing he said at the end, he said that he'd given Nil 'too much heart', remember? I think he wanted to be on our side. Ghirahim must have not expected that." "I hope he doesn't put him through too much suffering. He really did help us a lot in that temple."

"Ghirahim must have some heart, too," Link said after a moment of silence, crossing one foot over the other underneath the blankets. "I don't know how someone without heart could create someone with it. It's a shame he's so… you know. Demon, and everything," Link said with a small laugh, and Zelda nodded, turning onto her back. Link turned to face her and pushed her gently so that she was facing away from him before pressing his body against hers, one arm draped over her side and holding her close to him.

"Figures that right when I have you where I want you, this whole destiny thing happens."

"This whole destiny thing," Zelda repeated with a laugh. "Link, it's really important!"

"I know," he said with a sigh, "but I'd rather spend my days here with you."

"Than save the world?" she asked, and it was quiet for a moment.

"I just wish it wasn't our responsibility. Everyone up here is all blissful, all… happy. They don't really know what's going on. Even if we get hurt down there, they'll just be up here, safe."

"That's not true! That danger… that beast, this prophecy, it's connected to Skyloft. The repercussions to us and everyone up here would be huge if we weren't doing what we're doing. We just… don't know how, or why, yet."

"I dreamt about that beast, too," Link said suddenly, his voice muffled as he buried his face her hair. "I was going to have to fight it." Zelda was quiet then, and she reached for one of Link's hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I'm sure that won't happen. If it does, I'll be there."

"I wouldn't want you to be there," he muttered, his voice trailing off as he began to doze. He was falling asleep fast. "I want you to be safe."

"I know. I want you to be safe, too."

"You're more important. I'm stronger," he breathed out, his muscles relaxing as his body screamed at him for rest. "Everything I do, I do for you," he said, and Zelda's voice sounded far away when she finally spoke.

"You're crazy, Link."

He smiled for a moment before letting himself slip into a deep sleep, comfortable and unaware that Zelda spent several more hours awake, mulling over the memories that filled her mind of times from long ago.


	9. Eldin

In the morning, after carefully leaving Zelda's room together without raising attention to themselves, Link and her headed for the Isle of the Goddess, ruby tablet in hand. Fi had suggested earlier that it would open another hole in the light barrier, but had neglected to mention what the surface area would be like. Link assumed it would be forested, but Zelda had made him second-guess.

"Faron was a lot like Skyloft. The new region can't be that much different."

"I read about a volcano somewhere, I think. It's a great big hill of earth that explodes with lava."

"Explodes?" Link asked incredulously as they climbed the stairs, the Goddess statue looming ahead of them. "…what's lava?"

"Well, it spits it out from the top. Lava is like molten rock. It's thicker than water and will catch you on fire if you touch it," she explained, and Link shuddered.

"That sounds awful. How do you know that?"

"I'm not sure if I read it in some of the ancient texts, or if it's from all those memories I received at the Skyview spring. I just… know it."

Link watched her curiously then as they entered the statue, her face dimming as the shadows overtook them. He wished she could tell him what the memories were, exactly, but clearly she was still confused and trying to make sense of them herself. He was still curious, but focused on the task at hand instead. He drew his sword as they reached the floating crest, and waited for it to charge with the blue light once again. The energy surged through his body, and he jabbed it forwards, sending a bolt of hot, electric blue light towards the crest. It spun upon impact, finally stopping and emitting a familiar light.

The altar with the emerald tablet already inside it rose up from the floor, and Link exchanged looks with Zelda before placing the ruby tablet on top of the first piece of stone. After a moment, Fi swung out of his sword, which he then sheathed.

"Master, Honourable Zelda; I can confirm that a new path to the surface has appeared. My projections conclude that it will take you to the Eldin region, an area of high temperatures and frequent underground activity. I highly recommend you equip a shield that is not flammable."

She disappeared once she'd finished speaking, leaving Link and Zelda in silence as the stone altar returned back into the floor, the crest fading in colour.

"Link," Zelda said after a pause, moving towards him. "These memories… I think they're mine. It's got to be a past-life thing. I'm.. really beginning to think that I have a connection, to the Goddess, Hylia." "Hylia?" Link repeated, stepping closer and closing the distance between the two of them. Zelda nodded.

"Yes. She's not one of the three, you know… Farore, Din, and Nayru. She's separate, but still one of the ancient gods. She was the key to sealing away the evil power that swept the surface in an attempt to take control over the sacred power they created, the Triforce."

Link watched her in surprise, not sure how to take all of this new information. _The Triforce_, he mused, the word seeming familiar.

"Why would you have a connection to her?" he asked, and Zelda looked at him, her gaze lifting from the floor.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, crossing her arms, "but I think she's trying to tell me something. I'll probably have a better idea of all of this after I receive more memories from the Earth Spring. At least, that's what I think is going to happen there."

Link was quiet, his mind reeling. Memories from the goddess. He let his eyes shut for a moment, picturing the big statue that they were currently inside of. She did bear a sort of resemblance, but nonetheless, the idea of Hylia being a past life seemed strange. After all, she wasn't a mortal, and Zelda was quite obviously human, lacking of any godly powers. _Still, though…_ His eyes flicked open, and a twinge of jealousy hit him then, catching him off guard. He hadn't received any ancient memories at the Skyview Spring. Just an old piece of rock, opening the next path. It was clear to him, now, that his sole purpose so far was to protect her, to escort her. Her, and no one else.

"You keep doing your Goddess thing," he finally said, leaning down to giver her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'll protect you."

Her hand came up, cupping the side of his face, and she went up on her toes to press her lips softly to his. Their eyes fell shut.

"Thank you," Zelda said when she finally pulled away, her hand sliding down to Link's chest, lingering where his heart would be. She pressed the palm of her hand against the fabric there, smiling slightly to herself and then looking back up at him.

"You're in the memories. Well, it's not you, but… it is you," she said, her hand dropping as she tried to make sense of it. "The chosen hero. That's you. You're… a hero," her eyes shut tight, and after a moment she pressed her hand to her head, swaying a little bit. "Ouch."

"Hey," Link said worriedly, putting a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied after a moment, looking at him with a nervous smile. "Just a headache. There's a lot of knowledge in my head right now. I don't really know how to process it, I guess, if that makes any sense. It's confusing."

"Don't worry about it. You know what's really good for headaches?" Link asked, and Zelda looked at him in confusion.

"A hot or cold towel, right? Or lots of water?" she asked, and Link's straight face broke slightly, a smile cracking on his lips as he watched her in amusement. It took her a moment to understand what he meant, and her face flushed red, her eyes darting away from his.

"Th-that's- forget it, Link!" she stammered, walking away quickly. Link laughed, putting his hands up behind his head and following along behind her as she stormed out of the Goddess statue. He pondered a little bit about what she'd said about him being in the memories. Not him, but him… it was confusing, but he understood. He'd had dreams where people were switched. Cawlin would be Strich, and Strich would be Cawlin, or someone he'd never seen before was his mother, or he was someone completely different himself. If this really was a deal of past-lives, him and Zelda had been connected before. He watched her walking ahead of him as they hit the light, heading through the Isle of the Goddess towards the stairs. Was that why the two of them had always been fascinated with each other? Was that why he went straight for her the first time he saw her, and introduced himself?

He paused, stopping at the archway at the entrance to the Isle of the Goddess. He looked back towards the statue, and saw the great white stone circle on the ground where they'd first been introduced to their birds. He could see it then, playing out right in front of him. Him, as a little kid, in a white shirt that was too big for him and even scruffier blonde hair, watching Zelda from across the stone circle. He was entranced that day, hardly 10 years old, and she was beautiful. Younger, but with the longest hair of any girl there, and more importantly, she was staring straight back at him. It had always been a fond memory of his- meeting his bird, meeting her. He'd gotten praise from everyone after the crimson loftwing had appeared. Everyone had been surprised that the colouring still existed, and he remembered hopping straight onto its back and soaring off, to the utter panic of all parents in the vicinity. They weren't expecting him to know what to do straight away, and come back, and land.

That had gone far in impressing Zelda, as well. She had quite a connection with her bird, too, equally as pretty as her, but… nothing quite what Link and his red one had. And afterwards, at the "party", so-to-speak, that happened afterwards, he'd gone straight for her, and they'd talked and played and were friends as if they'd known each other forever. She'd always been familiar for him. It was starting to make sense now.

A yell broke through his thoughts. "Sleepyhead!"

He turned in surprise, only to see Zelda at the very bottom of the stairs, her hands on her hips and her head cocked to the side, staring at him expectantly. The faintest blush still remained on her face, and he felt suddenly swept away.

"What are you doing?"

"Day-dreaming," he replied quickly, jogging down the steps towards her, nearly running into her as he swept her up in a tight hug. It was more impulse than anything, but she returned it, holding him tighter than he'd expected.

"I needed that," she muttered.

"I was just remembering when we first met."

"I think about that day a lot."

He could feel her smile, then, her cheek pushing into his, and he let his eyes fall shut for a moment. He wanted this to last forever, but they had to go to Eldin, and time was moving fast. She seemed to have the same thoughts.

"We should go," she said, pulling away, and Link nodded, his shoulders drooping.

"Yeah. We need new shields."

The jittery salesman at the bazaar was happy to sell two, brand new iron shields to both Link and Zelda, who promptly placed their older wooden ones in storage. They filled up on their potions, and once they were sure they'd prepared enough, the two of them headed for the dock near the waterfall.

"You ready?" Link asked, pausing at the end of the wooden platform. Zelda's blue eyes flicked up to the new, tall, red pillar of light in the sky. After contemplating whether or not they'd gotten everything together, she looked back at Link and nodded. She took his hand, and the two of them jumped off the ledge, landing softly on Link's loftwing, which seemed to have been waiting for them. It let out a cry as Link took the reigns, and as he directed it towards the new hole in the cloud barrier, Zelda's grip tightened around his waist.

As they got closer, Link felt a familiar nervousness sink into the pit of his stomach. This whole lava stuff sounded terrifying, not that he'd let Zelda know that he was scared, and a volcano that spat it up into the air… his mind was reeling. It sounded like absolute terror, but he wasn't about to stop now. He turned to Zelda as they reached the hole in the clouds, and took one of her hands. They cast nervous smiles to each other before leaping off the loftwing and plummeting down through the clouds, the cold, refreshing air whipping past their faces as they went.

Already, it looked different; rivers of what Link figured must have been lava were flowing here and there, creating a labyrinth of ground and molten earth. He pulled out the sailcloth as the ground became increasingly closer, and Zelda reached up to grab the two opposite corners from what Link was holding onto. Their legs swung forwards and their descent slowed until they hit the ground.

He surveyed their surroundings for a quick moment; just a small area, enclosed by cliff sides. It was hot, though.

"Phew," he said, wiping his forehead. "It's so warm."

Zelda nodded in agreement, pulling her sleeves up and adjusting her pink cap. The two of them moved forwards warily, and when they finally came out into a clearing where they could see a better view of the region, Zelda pointed up towards the volcano.

"The Earth Spring must be in there somewhere… or higher up, at least. We should figure out a way to get over there."

"Sounds good," Link nodded, drawing his sword and holding it out in front of him as he walked ahead of Zelda, leading the way down what seemed to be an already set path. As they turned a corner, some sort of creature seemed to pop out of the ground, and it, Link, and Zelda, all yelled out in unison.

"Ahhh! It's one of those red things! I'll teach ya to come on Mogma terri… wait, wait, ya don't look like one of those… and yer all green and pink… You're not a monster?"

"_You're_ not a monster?" Link countered, and the creature shook its head quickly, lifting two large arms up and grinning.

"I'm a Mogma! Get it straight, bud! We burrow underground and stuff. Treasure hunters, we are. This is our land, and those red freaks have been stirring everything up!"

Link glanced over at Zelda before looking back at the Mogma.

"Bokoblins," he decided. "It must be them. Well, we're looking for the Earth Spring… do you know where it is?"

"Earth spring?" the creature repeated, looking confused. "There's been rumour of a spring of treasure behind the Earth Temple… but I don't know other than that. No Mogmas have really come out of there doing too well health-wise, if ya get my drift. S'not safe. But we're dare devils! Oh, I'm Ledd, by the way."

"Pleasure," Link said with a bored expression, while Zelda reached down to shake the Mogma's large paw.

"I'm Zelda," she said with a smile, and it nodded happily to both of them.

"G'luck. I'm lookin' for my dumb friend. He's always getting lost. Watch out for those red guys, they're nasty!"

With those last words of wisdom, the Mogma disappeared into the earth again, leaving nothing but a small dark hole to show that he had been there. Link peered into it curiously before continuing.

"The Earth Temple, Earth Spring… makes sense. We had to get through Skyview Temple before we could reach the spring."

"We had help, though," Zelda reminded him, skipping up to walk side-by-side with him. Link let out a sigh, his strange doppelganger haunting him still. Ghirahim had created him, and it was too bizarre for him to forget. The demon lord had complained about giving him too much "heart"… was it possible that Nil wanted to be on Link and Zelda's side, instead? Still, there wasn't anything they could do about it now. Ghirahim had taken off with him. He couldn't think about it too much.

"We don't need help. We'll be fine," Link said reassuringly, smiling momentarily at Zelda before pausing on the edge of a pool of lava. A bridge of bones was laid out in the lava ahead of them, and Link could feel sweat dripping down from his forehead. The heat was intense.

"I guess we'll-" he paused in surprise as Zelda took off in front of him, running over the bones and jumping nimbly in the middle, reaching the end with ease. His jaw dropped, but then he smiled, crossing his arms. She looked back at him and waved, an overwhelmed sort of smile on her face.

"Of course."

It took a while for the two of them to reach the top where the Earth Temple was, and Link's face was ashen by the time they got there, after being introduced to bomb flowers by another Mogma. They were useful and dangerous tools, and Link seemed to have gotten the hang of it. Nonetheless, his ears were ringing and he hadn't quite wiped off all of the dust and burnt dirt that had flown onto his face. However, he had been given a brilliant pair of gloves by one of the Mogmas they ran into during their travels; they had some sort of claws on them, allowing him to dig in shallow spots where rupees, bugs, or treasure might be lying.

He'd also had to face a barrage of Bokoblins inside one of the lesser craters, slashing and fighting away until he was sure he was going to fall over. He'd never seen so many in one place before.

"This is it," Zelda said, spinning at the door and looking at it with a smile. The doors were majestic; much more extravagant than the ones that had let them enter the Skyview temple. These were twice the size at least, with various engravings and gemstones set hard into the door. There were scratch marks here and there, no doubt from Mogmas trying to retrieve the metals and gems from the door, but to no avail. The entrance was built right into the volcano, about halfway up it. _The entire temple must be inside the Volcano..._

"You ready?" Link asked, his voice cracking slightly at the end. Zelda looked at him with an amused smile, and then lifted her gaze to the skies, which were dimming already.

"You look exhausted," she said, "and the sun is setting. We should make camp, and start again tomorrow." To prove her point, she rubbed one finger down his cheek, causing him to squint and frown. When she lifted it up in front of him, however, he was surprised to see it gray in colour. He lifted his hands to his face and attempted to rub the dirt off, but most of it stayed put.

"I give up," he sighed, and Zelda punched him in the arm.

"Don't say that!" she snapped back, and he looked at her in surprise before laughing lightly.

"I meant with the dirt on my face. Let's find a place to camp, okay?"

Using the sail cloth and a hole in the ground that gave way to a burst of air, the two of them had found a small enclosure where a Goddess Cube was. After sending it off, the spot seemed secure and hidden away, and so the two of them laid down their sleeping bag. The rocky, dry ground wasn't quite as comfortable as the tree had been in Faron, but Link folded up his hat and used it as a pillow, while Zelda seemed to be content with using his shoulder.

As tired as he was, Link found himself staying awake far longer than Zelda, his mind still tumbling over everything that had happened during the day. Tomorrow they'd have to enter another temple, and it seemed that their sole purpose was to keep trespassers and treasure-hunters away from sacred places. He wasn't sure how tough it had been for Nil to clear the way for them in the Skyview temple, but surely the Earth Temple couldn't be too much worse.

He stared upwards for a while, marvelling at the orange glow that the lava gave the night sky. Soon enough, his eyes fell shut, and he joined Zelda in a deep sleep.


	10. Earth Temple

Link woke up to the strange feeling of Zelda peeling her face away from his bare shoulder. Somewhere during the night, he'd stripped off his tunic due to the heat, but he was still covered in sweat. Zelda sat up groggily, stretching her arms above her head and letting out a big yawn. He followed suit, searching absently around the ground for his tunic.

"Here," Zelda said, handing it to him from the other side. He took it and nodded, resignedly pulling it over his head and tucking it into his belt after pushing his arms through the sleeves. He wiped sweat from his forehead.

"I can't wait until we're done here," Zelda said as Link pulled himself out of the hot sleeping bag. She began rolling it up while Link prepared the rope they used to tie it. "It's way too hot."

When they finally got all of their stuff together, the two of them headed back for the doors of the Earth Temple. Link heaved on the key, which was already in place, and the door cracked before swinging open. A large set of stairs was laid out in front of them, torches already lit, leading the way down into the temple.

"Ready when you are," Zelda said with a smile to Link, who nodded before taking her hand and heading down the steps with her. It was even hotter in here, but he tried to ignore it. The area was intimidating, with a pool of lava in front of them and rickety platforms of cooled rock lifting up and down as the molten rock burst upwards.

Very carefully, they jumped onto the first platform, and then the second, waiting for it to rise before they landed on a set of stairs across the first pool of lava. They paused then, looking up warily at a large gate ahead of them, appearing as if it was the mouth of a great dragon, whose face was carved into the rock above. Everything was much more extravagant here than the Skyview Temple, and although the colours and various sounds were more reassuring than the quiet, dark, coolness of Skyview, Link couldn't help but feel disconcerted as he stared at the great eyes of the dragon above. Was something like that living here? His eyes flicked to a small gear with a rope next to the dragon's face, and he blinked, curious what it could be for.

"Link, look," Zelda said after a moment, pointing to identical pulleys on either side of them. "This must be to open the gate."

Without hesitating, Link pulled out his sword and cut one rope, then the other. The gate moved down, but didn't fall all the way, and so Link rummaged in his pack for his Beetle.

"I think it's strong enough to cut through," he murmured, sending the little bug flying towards the rope next to the gate. It cut through, and the bug immediately returned to Link, just before the great gate moved down, hitting the edge of the platform they were on. Link let out a sigh of relief, but was distracted from moving forwards when Fi swung out of his sword.

"Master Link. I can confirm that we are, indeed, in the Earth Temple, and a spring lays at the end of the innermost room. However, there are much stronger enemies here. I suggest you take extra care in dealing with them. Ahead of you is what's called a Lizalfo," she continued, and Link looked forwards in surprise to see what looked like a giant Lizard, with one arm armoured with rock and a tail with spikes on the end. It was twice the size of a Bokoblin at least, and looked much stronger. "You must be patient and skillful."

Fi disappeared again, and Link swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Stay a bit back, okay?" he asked Zelda, who nodded and pulled out her shield, following a little ways behind him. The lizard noticed Link's approach immediately, and it licked its lips with a long tongue, stretching out its armoured arm and preparing to fight. Link swung at it several times to no avail, until the creature stuck its face under its arm and stuck its tongue out at him, mocking him. Angry, he stabbed his sword forwards, and proceeded to hit it a multitude of times until the Lizalfo suddenly jumped up, spinning around and hitting Link square in the chest with his tail. He let out a yell as he was knocked onto his back, and stood up as quickly as he could, just in time to roll out of the way of the Lizalfo's fiery breath.

He jumped towards the lizard, then, prepared to hit it straight on with his sword, but the creature seemed to be prepared, and knocked him sideways with his arm of rock. Link groaned as he shakily stood up for a second time, cursing the lizard and wishing it had just been a simple bokoblin standing in his way. The creature began mocking him again, and so Link ran forwards, hitting him where he couldn't guard, and sending him flying into the lava. The lizard let out a cry of defeat, bursting into a small purple cloud. Zelda ran to Link's side.

"Are you okay?" she gasped, and Link grabbed his rib cage where he'd been hit with the spiked tail.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," he said, finally standing up straighter, wincing slightly at the pain that came with it. He surveyed the area for a moment, his eyes landing on the giant, stone dragon face. His heart jumped for a moment as he thought it was real, but then he noticed the bomb flowers. He took out his slingshot.

"If I blow it up, we can probably use the pieces as stepping stones," he said, sending a seed flying at the bomb flower in the middle. There was a flurry of explosions, and Link was disappointed as he saw that most of the pieces were too small, and simply sank into the lava. However, the giant eyeball rolled towards them, stopping as it hit their platform.

"Oh…" Link sighed. This was their only option. "Hang on."

He hopped on the eyeball, struggling to keep his balance until he figured out a rhythm to it. Walking backwards, he rolled towards the middle platform, and then jumped off. He turned around then, facing the area where Zelda was standing, and pushed with all his might to get the eyeball over towards her. When it got closer, she jumped onto it, waving her arms for a moment to get her balance right. She rolled towards him, and then jumped off, landing next to Link.

"That's horrible," she said, turning to look over his shoulder. "And there's no way to get to the door over there…"

He followed her gaze and frowned at the large platforms that were too low for them to reach the higher door, but he noticed two cogs of sorts that were sticking out of the middle one. _Pushing those would probably raise the platforms,_ he thought.

"I'll explore on the eye and see what I can do. You stay here with your shield, okay? Make sure to yell if something happens."

She looked at him carefully then, but finally nodded, holding out her iron shield and sitting on the staircase. Link hopped back on the eyeball, going around first to the cog he could reach. As he'd suspected, one of the platforms moved up, but he still had to get the other cog in before they could go anywhere. It seemed to be blocked off. He kept an eye on Zelda as he moved around to the other side, rolling over the occasional Spume. He jumped off a little ways from the middle platform, glancing back at Zelda first to make sure she was okay, and then turned, only for Ledd to jump out of the ground.

"Woah! It's you! Maybe yer just who I need. I dropped my bomb bag back there, and I need it back, okay? Think ya can help me out? I'll pay ya for it! Whatever you want! A Mogma is good for his word."

Shrugging, Link crawled underneath into an enclosed space, grabbed a bomb flower, and rolled it under where he'd come in. Ledd let out a shriek and dug back into the ground just as it exploded, revealing a new path and a door.

"It's in there, right?" he asked as he crawled back out, looking at the hole where Ledd had burrowed. "Ledd!"

"Yes! Yeah. It's gotta be," the Mogma said nervously as he popped back out of the earth. Link looked over the Mogma at Zelda, and waved. She waved back, and then he turned, heading through the door, unsure of where it would take him.

When he got in, he was shocked to see two Lizalfos standing in the middle of the room, chattering away to each other. As the door shut behind him, a steel barrier fell over the door, alerting the monsters to his presence. They looked at him and tight-lipped grins appeared across their scaly faces as they walked towards him.

"I can't waste my time here," Link said outloud to himself, frowning. Zelda was still in the other room; he didn't want her to be out of his sight for too long.

Running forwards, he was careful to keep Fi's advice in mind, and tried to attack one at a time. He received a few burns from the fire that they spat at him, and received a few good hits, but the battle didn't last long. Hitting them into the lava seemed to get things over with faster. Still, his breathing was shaky when he finished, and blood was seeping out from his left arm.

A treasure chest appeared after they'd been defeated, and Link opened it with a great sense of relief to see what had to have been the bomb bag. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket to get his red potion, and drank it all in one gulp, feeling considerably relieved afterwards. Slightly more chipper about the situation than before, he headed back through the door (steel barrier now gone) and found Ledd.

"Oh! You've got it! Why are you in here, anyway?"

"I'm helping Zelda," he said, choosing his words carefully. His eyes flicked up, and he was relieved to see that Zelda was still sitting there, doodling with the edge of her shield in the dirt. Ledd nodded in understanding.

"Yeh, I haven't seen my friend. I don't know where he is right now. He's gotta be in here somewhere, though…"

"I'm sure he's worried about you," Link said with a frown. "It's not good to be separated from a friend like that."

Ledd looked up at Link in surprise then, and nodded in determination.

"Yer right. Here, take my bomb bag! I'll let you have it! And there's five bombs in there too, if I'm not mistaken. It can fit ten in total."

"Thank you," Link said in relief, giving him a smile. "It'll be really useful."

"Yeah, yeah. Go on then."

Hopping back on the eyeball, Link moved towards the second cog, and frowned when he realised he really couldn't get to it. He looked around the area, trying to figure out some way to get to the other side, and that's when he noticed the crack in the wall. Curious, he pulled out a bomb from the newly-acquired bomb bag, and tossed it at the wall. It exploded when it hit the lava, and the crack grew. Praying to the goddess that it wouldn't flood the entire room with lava, he tossed one more bomb, and the wall blew open, leading to a path. He looked at it for a moment before turning to Zelda.

"Zelda," he called out. He could see her stand up. "I'm going down this path, okay? I need to go through to find a way to hit the second cog. Sit tight!"

"Good luck," she replied with a wave and another smile, and he watched her sit down again before rolling the eyeball down the thin path of lava.

The only dangers seemed to be Spumes, and the occasional dragon sculpture coming out of the wall spitting lava at him, but soon enough he'd made it through to another gate. Using his beetle again, and balancing precariously on the eyeball as he did so, he cut through two more gears and ropes. Sweat was still dripping down his face as he continued, and he hated to think of what he probably smelled like right now, but he tried to focus on the task at hand so he could get through as fast as possible. When he finally reached the other side, he pushed the eyeball into the cog, and another platform lifted up, allowing them access to the higher door.

He jumped off the ball onto the platform and turned to where Zelda was, only to see that… she wasn't there anymore. The iron shield she'd had was lying on the ground.

"Zelda?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth to where she could possibly be. His heart sank. _No, _he thought, shaking his head, his breathing going faster. What could have happened? There weren't any monsters nearby that he could see, and there wasn't anything different around here. Something must have happened. He bit his lip. He should have never left her by her own, but there's no way the two of them would have been able to roll on that eyeball together. He didn't have any choice. She'd been taken by someone. His knees gave out, and he found himself slumped on the floor. Did this mean he'd failed as the hero to protect her?

Fi came out of his sword again, floating down to look at him.

"Master Link. I was created with the sole purpose of aiding you, the chosen hero, in your quest to fulfill the prophecy laid out for you. It entails protecting the Spirit Maiden, fair Zelda, and overcoming many challenges and trials in order to fortify your spirit and sword. Consequently, there are many things that I can do to help you."

He looked up at her curiously, feeling slightly more calmed down. Her clear, light blue eyes, blinked.

"Do you remember dowsing? I can recognize many auras and track them, such as Zelda's, which is being emitted from this shield, here." Fi gestured to the iron shield, which Link picked up and stuffed into his pouch. It was already a lot heavier. "By using your sword to dowse, you can pinpoint the location of the source of the aura. I have added Zelda to your dowsing options. Focus on her, and explore different directions with the tip of your sword. When you feel it pulsing with energy, that is the direction in which you must go."

Fi disappeared, and Link stood up, a new sense of determination in his eyes. He pulled out his sword, and letting his eyes fall shut, he did just what Fi had told him; and the sword began pulsing as he pointed it towards the north door.

"So she was taken further into the temple," he concluded, sheathing his sword and making a break for the door. As he lifted it up and came out on the other side, he was surprised to see a large ramp. He'd have to run up it unless he wanted to slide all the way back down.

After planning a route, he broke into a run. A large creaking sound above alerted him to a barrage of medium-sized boulders that were now rolling down towards him. Panicking, he managed to run through a gap in them, and his eyes flicked sideways to see a hole in the wall. He clambered up inside it, just in time; another barrage of boulders, these ones big enough to squash him completely, rolled down directly after, sinking into a small moat of lava at the end. He poked his head back out, relieved to see that no more were coming. He broke into a run again, finally reaching the top and panting. The second ramp that was in front of him was more complicated, but after blowing up a wall and essentially repeating his previous actions, he was able to get to the top.

A great dragon statue faced him there, its mouth wide open, lava flowing out from it, and a door beneath it. Pointing his sword towards the door, he was surprised to feel an urgent pulsing coming from his sword; Zelda was in that room.

He ran up the large curved ramp behind him, happy to see a big white treasure chest at the end. When he opened it, what could have only been the key for the door below was sitting in it. Happily, he took it out and pocketed it. He nearly yelled in surprise when there was a loud crack above him, and looking up, he saw a huge, round boulder falling down. It crushed the treasure chest, and without missing a beat, Link turned tail and booked it down the ramp, fear taking over. He didn't think he'd ever ran so fast in his life. At the nearest opportunity, he dove to the side and rolled down a flight of stairs, landing flat on his butt at the bottom. He looked up in shock to see the boulder roll directly off the ramp, and into the dragon's mouth. The lava flow that had been coming out of it stopped, and the mouth closed shut.

He headed for the door and lifted the key out of his pocket, standing for a few moments trying to figure out the right way to fit it in.

"Can't be just a normal key…" he muttered in frustration, finally sticking it in how it was supposed to go. The door accepted it, and cracked it in half, the two sides swinging open and allowing Link to run in. The room he came into was very similar to the one he'd come out of, with a tall ramp headed up to another dragon's mouth. As he jumped onto the platform, his eyes darted down, noticing a chain on the floor.

"Zelda?" he called, walking up the ramp, past the broken chain. About halfway up the ramp, a familiar, eerie laugh interrupted his thoughts. Link looked up in shock to see Ghirahim standing atop the dragon's head above the ramp, with Zelda draped over one of his arms.

"Zelda!" he yelled, and she seemed to stir, but was clearly not completely conscious.

"Oh, it's you," Ghirahim said smoothly, his free hand on his hip. "Let me see… Link, isn't it? Yes, that's the name that this spirit maiden was crying out as I captured her. I'm rather excited right now, because my underlings said that they had spotted her, and she was all by herself, with no one to protect her… Easy prey. Not something I'd expect from the chosen hero," he snapped, and Link drew his sword, glaring at the demon lord.

"You see, little human, I must have the spirit maiden to resurrect my master. It's absolutely a must. Ah, but in celebration for her capture, I think I'll join you in on the party. There's someone special I'd like you to meet. Oh, but don't be shy! Your agony is such fun. It won't take very long with my friend before you're charred to a satisfying crisp. Let me tell you, that-"

"Link!" Zelda's voice interrupted Ghirahim as she struggled against his grip, staring at Link desperately. The demon lord cast an angry look at her.

"It's too late, pretty girl," he hissed, not allowing her to break free. He turned his attention back to Link.

"Have fun," he said, and with a snap of his fingers, him and Zelda disappeared.

"No!" Link yelled, but he didn't get the chance to run forwards as the dragon head Ghirahim had been standing on suddenly opened its mouth. The same boulder as before rolled down towards him, and Link dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding it. It hit the edge of the ramp and burst open, eight flaming legs poking out and finding their bearings on the ground. It lifted itself up, opening what seemed to be a mouth, and let out a piercing scream.

Without bothering to think, Link broke into a run towards the top of the ramp. Fi came out, floating along beside him effortlessly.

"Master, a quick summary of this beast, Scaldera, tells me that it has one weak spot underneath the rock armour. The most efficient way of revealing it would be from some sort of blast force." She disappeared again, and Link hardly had to question what she meant; bombs.

He pulled out a bomb as he was running and threw it at the monster. It let out a high-pitched cry of pain before rolling back down to the bottom, and Link followed it as fast as he could. It was taking in a deep breath, and as fast as he could, he tossed a bomb, which flew directly into Scaldera and exploded within him. It seemed to be enough to send a bit of the armour flying, and Link ran forwards, slashing away at the eye as much as he could until the monster got itself up again and went on the offensive once more.

It took a lot of running, and a lot of explosions, but eventually Link had the beast beat. It exploded in a hot wave of dust and flame, and Link nearly fell over right then from exhaustion. He had no more healing potions, but he couldn't do anything except keep moving, so he staggered back up the ramp towards the door at the end.

The Hylian Crest on the door glowed blue as he neared it, fading away to reveal a path with which Link could walk down. When he came out the other side, he was relieved to feel the cool air and see what could only be the earth spring. He hobbled towards the edge of the platform where the floating crest was, and looked up weakly at the small statue of the Goddess that stood above it.

"Zelda… I'm sorry," he choked, falling down to his knees and gripping his injured arm. He'd never felt so angry at himself.

"If you're really sorry, you won't let that happen again."

The voice shocked Link, and he stood up in surprise, turning around and trying to locate the source. It wasn't Zelda; it was much deeper.

"Up here." His eyes flew up to see someone new, with tanned skin and darker clothes. She looked human, and next to her was Zelda, her hands clasped together in front of her. Link gasped, his eyes widening as he stumbled forward a few steps.

"My name is Impa," the woman continued. "You're lucky I was here to stop Ghirahim. While you have done a good job so far, you cannot let her out of your sight, _no matter the situation,_" she added, as if she was reading his mind. She leaped into the air, her arm linked with Zelda, who followed, and was now garbed in some sort of long, flowing, white dress. They landed softly in front of Link.

"You must travel to Lanayru Desert. There, you must seek out the Gate of Time. I will meet you there. Do not underestimate the demon lord, Ghirahim. He will go to any means necessary to retrieve the Spirit Maiden. Good luck."

With those final words, the mysterious Impa disappeared, and Link stared hopelessly at Zelda before moving towards her, wrapping his arms around her as tight as he could.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I won't let that happen again. I promise," he added quickly, pressing his face into her neck. She was silent, but after a moment returned his hug, her eyes falling shut.

"It's okay, Link. I was worried about you, too... thank you for coming after me."

"I'll always come after you," Link stated, pulling away to look at her, his eyes not leaving hers, his hands on her shoulders. "That's a promise. I'll never stop for you. I can't even think… about losing you, it…" he dropped his face to stare at the ground, moving his arms away from Zelda and gripping his left arm, which was still screaming at him in pain.

"You won't ever lose me," she said quietly after a moment, and he looked at her in surprise. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek before walking past him, and this time it was his turn to blush. He turned to see her sit down in front of the crest, her hands together as the crests glowed. Link watched her curiously as she wobbled slightly, no doubt overwhelmed by the amount of memories she was receiving again.

"So… why the dress?" he asked as he took his place in front of the crest, jabbing it with another skyward strike. Zelda was sitting on the edge of the walkway, dangling her feet in the water.

"Impa said it's the proper attire for the Spirit Maiden," she said absently, and then looked back to Link, finally really noticing the ash and bruises on his face.

"Link… you're in horrible shape," she said suddenly, and he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, well… Ghirahim sent this flaming ball of lava creature after me, and the only way to beat him was with bombs, so…"

Zelda stood up, then, draping Link's arm over her shoulders and helping him walk. Fi came out of his sword, and floated above the water, much like she'd done at the Skyview Spring.

"Master, I have a message written in the language of the gods of old. Allow me to translate for you. _From the edge of time, I guide you, the one destined to carry out the Goddess' mission. The Spirit Maiden who has descended from the clouds must pass through here and make her way to a fated place. The parched desert of Lanayru… that is where the chosen will pass through the Gate of Time into a distant world._"

As Fi spun atop the water, a new tablet formed at the statue of the Goddess, and floated down to Link, who took it with his free hand. She returned herself to his sword, and with an unspoken agreement, Link and Zelda headed to the outside of the temple, and lifted back up into the sky in order to return to Skyloft.


	11. Early Morning

Thanks for all the wonderful comments, guys :D I really appreciate it! And no worries, Nil will be coming back quite quickly here. The last chapter, Eldin, was the longest one so far, so... this one is a bit lighter, and much shorter. It was originally going to be the beginning of the Lanayru chapter, but I figured I'd expand it instead and give it its own little spotlight. The next chapter, if it isn't up tonight, should be up tomorrow! Once again, thanks a bunch!

* * *

Link had been forced to stay in the infirmary overnight, the nurse working as fast as she could to heal him. Nonetheless, the bruises stayed, and he got a few wary looks as he walked through the Knight Academy in the early morning.

"Getting' yourself all nice and beat up down there, huh?"

"Groose," Link replied flatly, turning around to see the big, red-haired boy staring at him. There was no mistaking his voice.

"See? I told you all along you were a wimp. Guess I was right," he said, lifting a hand to nudge Link's right cheek, which was thoroughly bruised. He winced, clenching his teeth and trying to ignore the searing pain that came afterwards. Groose laughed.

"I know you're just jealous," Link replied, unable to hide the anger in his voice now, "that I'm with Zelda."

"With her?" Groose replied hesitantly. "What- you mean adventuring with her and stuff. I don't need to be jealous of that. You're just showing her how much of a wimpy-wimp you are. I'm just waiting for you to fail out."

"You don't want me to fail," Link countered, "because if I fail, Zelda's done for. I'm risking my life for her. What can you say? That you have gross fantasies about her?"

"If you fail, Groose goes in to save the day," he replied, ignoring the rest of what Link had said.

"Feel free to throw yourself off the ledge and visit the surface," Link replied dismissively, waving a hand as he started to walk away. "I'd love to see you get torn to bits."

Before he got the chance to get away completely, Groose's hand roughly turned him around and pushed him against the wall. He grabbed a fistful of Link's shirt collar, and quietly gave him a hard punch to the chest.

"That's for being such an arrogant little prick! Showing off your battle scars, being the prince in shining armour for Zelda… tch."

"You _are_ jealous," Link replied with a weak grin, earning him another punch in the chest. He let out an _oof!_ and looked sideways to see Headmaster Gaepora walking down the hall. Groose let go of Link immediately, gave him a mean look, and then walked away, waving in a friendly manner to the headmaster, who ignored him completely and headed for the bathroom. Link headed for the kitchen, and got to work, doing his best to ignore the new bruise he had on his stomach.

He walked into Zelda's room as quietly as he could, a tray of food in one hand. As he shut the door behind him, he could hear her waking up, the blankets rustling. He turned around to see her sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

"Link?"

"I brought you breakfast," he replied, sitting down on the chair next to her bed. He held out the tray, and she placed it on her lap, staring at it in surprise. A few buns, a bunch of different jams, oatmeal, and three different bottles of juice to choose from. She let out a light laugh.

"What?" Link asked worriedly. "Did you want something different?"

"You still feel bad about yesterday, don't you?" she asked, though the tone in her voice told Link that she already knew the answer. He nodded slowly in response. She laughed again, but then tore open one of the buns and handed it to Link before starting on her own. He reached over to take it from her and let out a small gasp of pain, wishing immediately that he could have taken it back. Zelda paused, about to take a bite, to look at him.

"…what's wrong? Didn't the nurse help you out last night?"

"Yeah. No, I'm fine," he said quickly, spreading some jam onto his bun and stuffing half of it into his mouth. He smiled through the dough at Zelda.

"Don't worry about me," he added, his voice muffled by the food as he chewed. She looked at him in disbelief.

"It's okay if you're in pain. You know I'd never consider you weak, or anything. You're still my hero, no matter how many bruises you've got," she said, proceeding to take a large spoonful of oatmeal. Link didn't reply, continuing to chew. Zelda let out a long sigh when she'd finished her oatmeal, placing the spoon back down on the tray and leaving the bun uneaten.

"I didn't get any sleep last night. The memories I was given at the Earth Spring… and what Impa told me, I… I can hardly make sense of it all. But I know I knew Impa in the past life. And I know Fi, and… you…" she trailed off, shutting her eyes tight as she seemed to be concentrating.

"It's like, it's all there now, but I don't know the story, or sequence of events. It's like trying to put together a really big puzzle, but until then, I can't really make sense of it all, you know?"

Link shrugged in response. He really didn't know.

"I'm worried, though, because… I've been putting you through all this trouble for me. It's silly."

Link shook his head, finally swallowing the large bite he'd taken of his bun. He stared at the tray of food, surprised when he saw a tear drop fall onto the light wood, leaving a darker mark. He looked up at Zelda, eyes wide, not expecting to see tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I just… there's so much, and for some reason, I just feel awful about it, and I'm… I'm so sorry, Link, because I wish everything could just be normal, but for some reason I feel like all of this is my fault, and I'm the one putting you through it, and-"

In one swift movement, interrupting Zelda, Link moved the tray onto her desk and got onto the bed with her, pushing her down so she was lying on her back and he was on top of her, on all fours. Her face flushed, and she looked up at him, her expression switching from sad to frustrated.

"Why did you-"

"Because you need to listen to me," he replied sternly, and she blinked. "I don't know what those memories of yours are like, but believe me when I say that I'm doing this for you because I want to. It's not because you want me to, and it's not because of some crazy prophecy. Maybe that was the plan all along, but me, personally, I'm doing it because I love you," he said, and then his breath caught in his throat. That had all come out faster than he'd expected, and he stared down at Zelda, his heart catching on fire. He hadn't meant to say that. _It's true,_ he reminded himself, but nonetheless, it hadn't been the time or place he'd wanted to say it.

"I- uh- sorry," he stammered, looking away. He was about to lift himself off the bed when Zelda's hand clasped around his wrist, and he looked at her in surprise as her other hand rested on the side of his face.

"That's the point," she said after a moment, looking as if she was in pain. "You're supposed to love me."

"Don't say that!" Link snapped back, suddenly frustrated and angry, at both himself and her. "I don't care if that's what this entire thing is about. I don't care if I'm only the chosen hero because I'm supposed to protect you, and I don't care if this whole love thing was 'meant to happen'. I'm in love with you, and I'm not some sort of programmable robot! It's real," he said, his voice giving out at the end. "I wouldn't… I wouldn't care so much if it wasn't. I don't love you because I feel obligated to. It's everything about you. It's always been that way, from the moment I saw you, and your long hair, and your kind eyes, and the way you talked, and laughed, and smiled, and those quirks of yours… It's real," he repeated, and Zelda's eyes were wide now, staring up at him in shock.

"I… Link…"

"I… if you died, I mean, if I failed you at all, I don't know what I'd do, or if I'd even be able to keep going. You're everything. When I thought I'd lost you yesterday…"

Zelda let out a shaky breath before pulling him down, his knees giving out and their bodies pressing together. They wrapped their arms around each other and lied like that for a few moments in silence, listening to each other's breathing as it slowed.

"…I… you know, I… I love you, too," she finally said, quietly. Link barely heard her. He held onto her tighter. "I just worry about this whole thing, like… what if we don't make it? What about when we have to go separate directions?"

"We'll always come back to each other in the end," he replied, and Zelda nodded slightly, turning a little bit to kiss him. He responded earnestly, his hands finding hers and pulling them up above her head, keeping her pressed against the bed as he moved down to kiss her neck. His hands finally let go of hers and moved down, pulling on her nightgown and allowing his hands to explore her breasts. She let out a couple noises and moved back slightly, letting out a gasp as his hand moved even lower.

"Link," she said in quiet protest, her hands moving forwards to grab his arms. "We… we can't," she stammered, her face the reddest he'd seen it. "Not now."

As if on cue, heavy footsteps were heard outside the door, and the two of them fumbled to lift Zelda's gown back up to how it had been before.

"…Zelda? I brought you some food!"

"Groose!" Link whispered incredulously, and Zelda looked just as confused.

"H-hang on a second!" she stammered, and Link looked at her in a panic.

"No, if you sound like that, he's just going to-"

The door swung open.

"What did you say?" he sounded smug, like he knew she wasn't fully ready for him to come in yet, but he obviously hadn't been expecting to see Link roll off of her and to the side of the bed, looking guilty. Groose's big smile disappeared, but his jaw remained dropped open. After a silent, awkward moment, he shut his mouth and a tight-lipped smile appeared on his face, directed straight at Link.

It was written all over his face. _"I'm going to kill you,"_ it said.

The red-head put his tray of food on the desk, next to the half-empty tray from the food Link had brought, and left the room. He slammed the door shut so hard that the furniture in the room shook, and Karane, next door, let out some sort of grumbled sound in her sleep.

Zelda put a hand to her face. "Oh, goddess. That was awful."

"…Mm, more food," Link said awkwardly, jumping off the bed to once again stuff his face with a few berries that Groose had collected.

"Link!" Zelda said accusingly, and he turned, looking at her nervously. "What- what was that?"

"Geez, what's that supposed to mean?" he retorted.

"That, all that… physical…"

"You're cute," he replied simply, turning away from her to eat some more berries. "You turn me on. Is that a tough concept?"

"N-no, that's… well… flattering, but… You put it in such crude terms," she finally said, letting out a sigh.

"At least I'm blunt," he replied, turning to her as she stood up from the bed and gave him a hug.

"Groose beat you up earlier, didn't he?" she asked in his ear, and he blinked, letting out a quiet, embarrassed laugh. So he really was see-through.

"Just a couple punches," he replied, smiling at Zelda, who gave him one look and then burst out laughing.

"You've got- your teeth, they're all purple and red from the berries!" she laughed, and he shut his mouth immediately, causing her to laugh even more. "Well, at least you've cheered me up," she added, and he let his shoulders relax. That had been the idea, even if it hadn't gone quite as he'd planned.

"We should get ready," he said finally, after using his tongue to clean the colour off his teeth.

"Yes. Lanayru desert… here we come," she replied, staring out the window, lost in thought as Link left to his room to get his supplies.


	12. Lanayru

After upgrading their wooden shields at the repair shop with Gondo, and refilling their potions, Link and Zelda found themselves entering the Statue of the Goddess once more. Zelda waited behind him as Link, once again, sent a skyward strike flying at the crest. When the altar rose up, he was relieved to see that this was the last tablet he'd have to collect. It fit snugly into the altar, which returned to the ground for the last time, and once again, Fi appeared.

"I've confirmed the location of a third opening in the cloud barrier in the sky to the southwest. It will allow you to reach a new area on the surface. I suggest going there as soon as you are suitably prepared."

When she disappeared, Link sheathed his sword, and him and Zelda headed for the dock, jumping off and landing on Link's bird. The new light was closer to the thunderhead than the others, and they had to swing around a few tornados, but eventually they dove off the loftwing and flew down into the desert. It was hot as well, but a more dry, subtle heat than the intense temperatures that Eldin gave off. Using the sailcloth to slow their fall, they landed on top of a large outcrop of land.

Link's mouth dropped open. He'd seen sand before, but never such a huge expanse as this. He couldn't believe it. Giant statues came up here and there out of the sand in the distance, and the wind blew dust storms here and there in the distance. Fi swung out of his sword once more.

"A report, Master Link. We have arrived at an area known as Lanayru Mine. This arid region was transformed into a desert over the course of several hundred years. I must surmise that in order to reach the Gate of Time, we must travel through this area."

After she flipped back into the sword, Link and Zelda followed each other down a ladder to reach ground level. The only way seemed to be down a series of platforms towards a path in the wall. It brought them into a small cavern, and Link took out any keese and chuchus that got in their way. However, after being mildly electrocuted a few times, he learned to be more patient with the chuchus; they packed more of a punch than the ones in Skyloft.

His hair slightly more frizzy, him and Zelda eventually came out into a large clearing with a conspicuous looking blue gemstone perched in the middle, atop some sort of pedestal. The two of them explored the area curiously, and as Link was trying desperately to get to some rupees atop some old machines, he heard a sudden yell of surprise from Zelda, and a clang.

He turned quickly, only to see that she was standing next to the gemstone, which had now turned a light blue.

"I tripped... I ran into it," she called over to him, and as he began walking towards her, a sudden change took over the area. Drawing his sword as it happened, he was shocked to see the ground beneath him turn to grass, and the entire area come to life. Vibrant colours sank back into the old machinery, and small robots here and there began moving about.

Before he could even call for her, Fi appeared.

"I can confirm that the stone in the middle of this area is what's referred to as a Timeshift stone. Once used as an energy source, it has the power to revert the areas around it into a past-time state. In conclusion, we are now in a past-time state. I predict a 98% chance that the location is now several hundred years back in time."

She disappeared again, and Link and Zelda looked at the mine carts in amazement as they hovered above their tracks. Her attention was distracted by the robots, however.

"They're… so cute," she said happily, walking over to one absently and watching it. It turned, looking at her suspiciously.

"If you're here to work, come back with a helmet, phweep. Otherwise, watch out!"

Blinking in surprise, she backed off, and Link cracked up.

"These guys have got attitude. Come on, let's keep moving."

Eventually, after hopping on a mine cart and riding through into a new area, Link and Zelda were able to find their way out into the main portion of the desert. It spread out in front of them, and they began adventuring down into the pools of sand. Link was becoming more and more used to the bomb flowers, and managed to not blow himself or Zelda up at all during their travels. The faces of the robots they'd encountered earlier were everywhere, and a new, fast, electric enemy was something they had to watch out for. There seemed to be only one way they could go, less they risk sinking into the quicksand. Link definitely enjoyed Faron Woods more; even Eldin, despite the heat, was easier to traverse. Running through the sand had exhausted the two of them, and Link was really beginning to hate the feeling of the grainy material in his boots.

Nonetheless, they pressed on. At one point, rescuing a trapped robot had proved very useful as it upgraded Link's beetle for him, giving it some sort of hook technology and allowing him to pick up bomb flowers, which were growing nearly everywhere. Link wasn't sure he would have been able to proceed without the upgrade.

It took some time before they reached a new area; it had mine carts, the same ones that Link and Zelda had seen before, and a plethora of time shift stones littering the area, allowing them to travel through it. The high-tech Bokoblins were a new enemy Link wasn't particularly fond of; not only were they much better at blocking his attacks, he found himself getting far too many electric shocks traveling down his sword and into him. However, he figured he was improving.

"Oh, Link," Zelda suddenly stated as they were mid cart-ride. "Look at that. That must be it."

He followed where she was pointing, and then it was suddenly impossible to miss; a giant-sized Hylian Crest. An exact replica of the ones he had hit in the springs, and inside the Statue of the Goddess, except… this one was a hundred times bigger, at least.

"You think the gate of time is there?" he asked, hopping out of the cart and helping her jump out.

"It must be," she replied, hitting her shield against another timeshift stone. The area changed once more.

After the last mine cart ride, they found themselves facing a great white wall. The center consisted of two large marble gates, and a familiar figure standing in front of them. She nodded to them as they approached.

"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed, and the woman bowed slightly, her hand on her chest. Link looked at her curiously. As she stood, she looked straight at him.

"When we enter these doors, I would not be surprised to find an ambush waiting for us. I suggest you draw your sword."

"An ambush?" he repeated, doing as she said and holding his sword and shield in front of him. Zelda brought out her shield, and Impa nodded slowly.

"Ghirahim knows that we must make a trip here. He has no doubt prepared himself to attack and capture the spirit maiden. We must do everything we can to protect her."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Link replied angrily, not fond of the idea of Ghirahim waiting for him beyond that door. At least the two of them had one thing in common; they were both equally persistent. Impa lifted a hand, the gates opening slowly in front of them, cracking and creaking as they did so. As they entered, the marble doors crumbled behind them, boulders and rocks blocking the entrance to anyone who would try to disrupt their doings here. It was quiet for a moment, and then they pressed on. It didn't seem like anyone was waiting for them.

Inside, what looked like a large stone tablet sat across a long bridge from them, directly beneath the giant, light-blue crest that now overtook the sky. Link looked at the stone curiously, and as they neared it, Impa and Zelda walking ahead of him, a realisation dawned on him.

"Wait- the gate of time- we're going back in time?"

Impa turned around as they reached the tablet. She held up her hand, and it began to glow.

"The spirit maiden must travel back in time, to Hylia's Temple, to learn of her past, and her role in this great prophecy. That is her burden to carry. I am the one to teach her."

"But- what about me?" Link asked, suddenly feeling his stomach sink.

"You have your own path, and your own trials to overcome. The Goddess left them specifically for you so that you could properly learn Courage, Wisdom, and Power, and fortify your sword. There is no possible way for you to follow us. It would be a waste of your time, and time is of the essence," Impa concluded. Link stared hopelessly at Zelda, then, and she frowned slightly, clearly not happy with this turn of events.

"You should have been aware this time would come. You will see each other again. In order to keep Zelda safe, and the fate of the world safe, this is what must happen," Impa said, her words harsher than before. The tablet broke into what seemed like a million pieces, small, rounded blocks glowing and fitting together in a circular shape. Link dropped his shoulders, the tip of his sword scratching on the stone ground. He stared hard at the stones beneath his feet, trying to resist from yelling and demanding that there be another way. This was how it was supposed to go. It was all some sort of plan, and as much as he hated it… Keeping Zelda safe was still his top priority. Even if it meant he had to wait a lifetime to see her again, or if he had to fight every day for the rest of his life, he'd do it. Only for her.

"How long will it be?" Zelda asked as she turned, walking towards Link. Impa was quiet for a moment.

"It should only take a week, if not less, for me to fully explain everything, and for you to fully understand your purpose. That should be plenty of time for the Chosen Hero to complete his trials, if he's worth his salt," she replied. The gate flashed a quick, bright light, and symbols that looked strangely familiar to Link appeared on the outside, turning around in a strange, clockwork fashion.

As Zelda got closer, Link wrapped his arms around her, feeling slightly relieved that it wasn't a ridiculous amount of time. He'd seen her every day for most of his life, but a week surely wouldn't be too bad.

"It's only a week," he said, letting out a heavy sigh.

"When we see each other, we're both going to be a lot different," she replied, and Link squeezed her tighter. He had no idea what these challenges or trials were, or what she was going to learn, but she was probably right.

"There is a second gate of time," Impa continued, turning around now that the gate had completed its transformation. "You must find it in order to find us. When we pass through here, I am going to destroy this gate from the other side in order to ensure that no one can follow."

Link looked up at Impa and nodded, and Zelda moved back. Almost immediately, there was a flash of light and suddenly, Impa's attention was focused behind Link and Zelda. Surprised, he turned around to see Nil, standing at the other side of the bridge. Zelda moved back, moving towards Impa.

"Nil," Link called out towards him, slightly hesitant. "Nil, it's us, remember?"

"Ghirahim is my master," Nil replied simply, ignoring what Link had said, "and I'm here to fight you." He began walking forwards, his pace quickening as he went.

"I don't want to fight," Link replied, though he knew it was in vain. Nil wasn't how he'd been before.

Without saying anything, the boy ran forwards at a high speed, sword lifted up to the side. He yelled as he swung it down towards Link, who rolled quickly out of the way beneath the attack. He stood up behind Nil, and just how it had been in the Skyview temple, ran his sword down the length of Nil's back. The boy let out a yell of agony, and right as Link let his guard down, Nil turned around and hit him square in the chest. The cut hit him right where Groose had bruised him, and Link collapsed, gripping his stomach in pain.

"Link!" Zelda yelled out, and Link gasped as Nil kicked him, forcing him to roll over on his back. He looked up in panic as Nil brought his sword down, stopping it hardly an inch from his neck.

"Get through the gate," Link yelled. "Go!"

"Thank you, Link," Impa said, and taking Zelda's arm, the two of them appeared in front of the gate of time.

"You have to protect her," he stammered, looking sideways at Zelda, who was struggling against Impa's arm, trying to break free. Despite having a sword at his neck, he gave her a small, reassuring smile, and suddenly, they disappeared through the gate. As soon as they'd disappeared, the gate began to crumble; the blue light that it had been emitting faded, and it fell apart in a mess of rock and light.

_She's gone._

Link clutched his chest again, looking down in shock to see his hand now sticky with blood, his tunic soaked straight though. His head felt dizzy. Whether it was because of his blood loss, or the shock of seeing so much blood, he couldn't be sure. His eyes lifted back up to Nil, staring at his own, crimson reflection.

"I'm here to fight you, not kill you," Nil said after a moment, lifting his sword away from Link's neck. He stepped away a bit, creating ample space in between them. Link fumbled for his only potion, and he sat up slowly, drinking it down as fast as he could. The relief was almost instantaneous, and he stood up, feeling rejuvenated. His body was still somewhat weak, however, the bruises and scars fresh and ready to be ripped open again at any moment. What little blood was left from his injury dripped down onto the white stones beneath him, and he held his shield and sword up, facing Nil.

This time, he attacked first, but with every strike of his sword, Nil moved the same way. It was frustrating, and in a few cases the two of them struck each other at the same time; however, Nil seemed to take much less damage than Link did.

"What did Ghirahim do to you?" Link asked in frustration, lifting his sword to charge a skyward strike. Nil watched him warily.

"He modified me," he replied simply, eyes widening as the beam of white light flew at him. Unable to dodge, he fell backwards, wincing as he hit the ground. Link watched him carefully, chest heaving from the pain and exhaustion that was now taking over his body.

"I have to get back. I have to go- I need help. I can't fight anymore," he gasped, feeling like his chest had been torn open. A gash on his left arm was bleeding faster than he could handle it, and with no potions left, Link staggered as fast as he could afford towards the bird statue outside the great white walls.

"You're being a coward," Nil called from behind him.

"I'm just saving myself so I can fight again," Link said angrily, not bothering to look back. He coughed up blood and threw his hand onto the corner of the wall to steady himself. His eyes widened as he looked at what was in front of him; a small mountain of boulders. The gates had crumbled. He'd forgotten completely.

"I'm the voice inside your head, you know."

The words surprised Link, but he couldn't linger over them, and he began climbing haphazardly over the boulders. Nil's footsteps were coming up behind him, but eventually, Link made it to the other side. He moved his left hand sideways to steady himself against the bird statue, his arm searing in pain. Lifting his gaze momentarily to look through the crack in the rocks, he could see Nil standing on the other side, just half of his face visible.

"I didn't want to be this monster, but I'm going to haunt you. ...Take this."

Nil fished something out from his pouch, and tossed it over the rocks. Link barely managed to catch it, confused what the strange contraption was; it looked like a giant flute.

"I'm- it takes a lot of effort to go against orders like that," he stammered, and when Link looked through the rocks again, Nil's face was distorted as if he was going through some sort of serious pain. A grin escaped him, a small fang poking out from upper lip. "Ghirahim won't be happy that I gave that to you. You're going to need it. I'm trying to be on your side. I-"

He was cut off, his eyes falling dim and his face drooping forwards. He fell down against the rocks, and Link panicked as he saw Ghirahim standing behind him, looking angrier than he'd ever seen him.

"Next time, you're dead," he hissed. It was the last thing Link heard before he focused on escaping as fast as possible, and he whipped out his sailcloth, holding onto it with the last of his energy as the orange light lifted him up, fast through the sky, and above the clouds.

When he figured he was high enough, he tucked the cloth away, jumping forwards and letting out a weak whistle for his loftwing. The last thing Link remembered was the feeling of the wind whipping past his face, landing in a soft pile of red feathers, and the cry of the crimson bird that flew him home.

When he finally came to, he was lying, once again, on the bed in the infirmary. The nurse was moving around him in some sort of crazy fuss, applying bandages and cream. She looked over in shock when Link sat up in a panic, an image of Ghirahim fresh in his mind. He let out a scream of pain and fell back down immediately, as the cut in his chest seemed to open again. His vision blurred, and when the nurse spoke, she sounded like she was 10 feet away.

"Stupid boy! I don't know what you're up to down there, but you're getting yourself positively destroyed. If you don't take a rest for a while and let yourself heal, you're going to run me straight out of supplies, and no doubt get yourself killed!"

"I can't," he murmured, feeling a cool sensation spread across his chest as the nurse applied a cold cream to the gash he'd received. "I have to… keep fighting. I have to hurry."

The nurse was quiet, but Link could practically feel her anger sweeping over him as she slammed a potion bottle down on the table next to him.

"Drink this. Keep the bottle. Take as many heart potions with you as you can. Get the double servings. You'll need it," she said simply, walking out and slamming the door behind her. For an older lady, her words packed a punch, and Link gratefully reached over to drink the red potion. It felt like they were the only things keeping him going now. He stood up slowly, being extra careful of his bruises and cuts, and headed for Zelda's room, where he would spend his nights in Skyloft until she returned. However, as he headed upstairs, Gaepora pulled him aside in the hallway.

"Link, I have something for you."

Following the old man into his room, he was handed the replica harp that Zelda had played during the Wing Ceremony.

"I don't know if it will come in handy, but I remember reading about the Ballad of the Goddess. Anyway, take it."

Gaepora didn't ask about Zelda, much to Link's relief, and shut the door behind Link as he left. He waited for a few moments before sneaking into Zelda's room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He collapsed on the bed, passing out with the harp lying on the pillow beside him.


	13. The Beast

Link woke up in a cool sweat, his breath catching as he realised where he was. He'd had another nightmare of that great, scaly beast; it was somehow much more real this time, and Link shuddered, a sense of relief washing over him as he curled up under the blankets once more, taking in the sweet smell of Zelda that hung over them. His eyes flicked open as his forehead bumped against something cold and hard, and as he studied the harp in front of him, he remembered vaguely that Gaepora had given it to him. Something about some ballad he'd read about.

As he stared at it, the sun shone through the window, and Impa's words repeated in his mind: _"Time is of the essence."_

Resignedly, he sat up, letting out a yawn and stretching his arms above his head. He had to do some sort of trials, Impa said, that the Goddess had laid out for him. It must have been some sort of test. She'd said that he was learning three things, but all of yesterday was a blur, and he could hardly remember what they were. He remembered the desert, the dry heat and the sand that stuck to his shoes, the birds that dropped rocks all around him, and the little robots that made strange, mechanical squeaky noises while they spoke. And Nil, he remembered, and the gate, and Impa and Zelda, disappearing into time.

He grabbed his pouch from the chair sitting at Zelda's desk, pulling out the strange contraption Nil had given him before. It had a blue light on the side, and definitely looked like something that had been made in Lanayru; the patterns and colours on it were a giveaway.

From his sword and shield, hanging on the back of the chair, Fi appeared.

"Master Link, what you are holding is called a Gust Bellow. I must conclude that it is the only one of its kind. It allows you to blow strong, constant, gusts of wind. I calculate a 100% chance that it will come in use on your journey."

The two of them stared at each other then, and some sort of unspoken sympathy seemed to travel from Fi to Link. She disappeared before he could make any sort of statement about it, but he smiled nonetheless. Her and Nil seemed to have that in common; although they'd been constructed by someone else to serve a purpose, their heart was unmistakeable.

He tucked the gust bellows back in his pouch, along with his harp, and stood up. Lifting his white nightshirt, he studied his injuries. They were recovering quickly, no doubt due to the ridiculous amount of red potions he'd been drinking. His chest was still bruised, but it was fading fast, and as he pulled up hi sleeve to look at his left arm, he was surprised to see that it seemed nearly gone already. The nurse really knew what she was doing.

He changed into his green tunic once again, strapping on his sword and shield, and the adventure pouch that Fledge had made. He was surprised with how well it stuck together, and how much he could fit inside of it; the kid really knew what he was doing.

After filling two of his bottles with red potions at the bazaar, and getting Gondo to patch up his shields and upgrade them, he stood on the edge of the dock, behind the statue of the Goddess. He had no idea where he was supposed to go to find these trials; the only person he could think of who would help was the old lady at the Sealed Temple.

Deciding his path, he launched himself off the dock, whistling for the loftwing, which, sure as ever, came and picked him up. As they flew, he gave the bird a few reassuring pats on the head.

"Thanks, bud. You really helped me out. Sorry for worrying you."

The loftwing let out a cheerful cry in response, diving down towards the green pillar of light. He jumped off once more, and flew down through the sky. A shadow seemed to overtake him then, and he glanced up curiously to see Groose flying down behind him; looking terrified, but determined.

Link yelled in shock as Groose, heavier than him, grabbed onto Link's leg, hanging off of it as they tumbled down through the cloud barrier.

"You stupid kid! Do something!"

Link pulled out the sail cloth, but Groose was still too heavy; a much heavier addition than Zelda, at any rate, and their descent wasn't balanced. They tumbled onto the grass behind the sealed temple, scaring away a flock of small birds as they did so.

"Wh-what is this!" Groose exclaimed, staring up at the trees and cliff sides in shock. Link retrieved his sail cloth, which had been draped over the bird statue, and turned to face Groose, who was heading towards him, rolling up his sleeves.

"At least no one down here can see me beat you up! And then it'll be my turn to rescue Zelda!"

Link drew his sword aggressively, pointing it straight at Groose, who took one look at the sharp edge, still stained with dried blood from Nil, and backed away, hands up.

"I mean- woah, Link. Geez. That's not fair at all, you know I don't have a sword…" the red-head laughed nervously, backing away, but looking genuinely scared. Link couldn't help but grin.

"This, down here? It's the Surface. We're behind the Sealed Temple right now. That's where I was going to go, to meet the old lady, so she could tell me where to go… That is, before you decided to join me," he said, clearly frustrated.

"W-wait, what's it like down here?"

"There's monsters and stuff, you know. Giant carnivorous plants that try to eat you, stuff like that," Link said calmly.

"I can handle that. Pssh! I'm the mighty Groose. I can take on anything."

"Wrong," Link said flatly, and Groose ignored him, heading down the path towards the sealed temple.

"I'm gonna go talk to that old lady and find out where to go! Don't worry, Link, Groose is taking over from here on out!"

He broke into a run down the path, and Link let out a sigh. It was almost embarrassing to have to face that old woman now, since she'd know he came from the same place that Groose did. He was going to give all of Skyloft a bad name. Still, Link didn't have any choice but to follow. By the time he walked into the temple, Groose was already all in a panic.

"You're messing with me. Say it again, I dare you!"

"I only speak the truth. You are not the one who will save her. The spirit maiden, your Zelda, can only be saved by another. It has been his fate to do this thing, and in doing so, save us. As it was decided long before you were brought crying into this world."

"Shut it, grannie!" Groose yelled, anger overcoming him. Link watched awkwardly from the doors, and then slowly began walking towards them.

"You obviously don't know me well, 'cause if you did, you'd know that if anyone's going to save Zelda, it's Groose! How could it not be me? Pfft, if it ain't me, why would I even be here? If I'm not up to the job of being the hero, just who is?" He looked up in surprise as Link walked up the steps towards them, and stopped on the other side of the old woman, crossing his arms.

"Oh, now I getcha," Groose said quietly. "Link, grannie here has been trying to tell me that you're gonna be the big hero who rescues Zelda. What a joke! Look, all I've heard so far is a bunch of babbling about destiny, but that's a load of garbage. I know you, and you're no hero, shrimp!" He let out a frustrated yell as he walked away, unloading his anger on the wall for a moment before heading outside the temple. Link watched him go, and then turned to the old woman, who spoke to him as if nothing had happened.

"Greetings, Link. How has the journey been?"

"Impa took her through the gate of time," he said simply, and the old lady smiled.

"Ah, I see, so the guardian was there as well, was she? She is a being sent forth by the goddess to aid Zelda in her quest. However, since Impa destroyed the gate that they used, there is only one way left to find them. You must make use of your harp." Link took it out of his pouch then, surprised that the old lady knew he had it.

"Tell me, Link, have you attempted to play the harp you received? My sense is that you have not yet familiarized yourself with it. I shall teach you how to play it. Strum your fingers along it in grand movements, and play to the timing of my swinging braid."

Link watched the pendulum of hair move back and forth, and he moved his hand along the harp accordingly, back and forth.

"Good, you learn fast," she said, nodding in approval. "Next, play to the tune of the light. When your timing is right, I shall join my voice to your harp. Listen well, for the song I sing will be of great help to you in your journey."

Link stood below the stairs now, harp at the ready, and was shocked to see a pulsing circle of light appear around his feet. It moved in and out, and when he figured out the rhythm, he began strumming back and forth. A series of lights appeared around him, pointing up to the sky, as the old woman began humming a tune. The song sounded familiar, and when it was finished, the old woman nodded once more.

"Good. That was the Ballad of the Goddess. Now, pay attention behind you, Link."

He turned, and his eyes widened as another stone tablet, identical to the one he'd seen in Lanayru, appeared in front of him.

"The second gate of time," he said outloud.

"Yes. The harp you hold is known as the Goddess' Harp. It is a divine instrument of the Goddess who once looked over this land."

"So… obviously not a replica," Link said with a laugh, remembering what Gaepora had told her.

"Certainly not. The melodies it brings to life have the power to produce a variety of strange and otherworldly effects. That slab in front of you, as you noticed, is the second gate of time, and the last in its existence. It is the only portal binding our world to the one where Zelda now resides. If you manage to open the gate and pass through, you will likely end up in the same place as Zelda. But you will need to endure many hardships and put yourself in great danger to awaken the gate from its dormant state. Though your journey will put you in harm's way, Link… You must endure. It is your fate as the chosen hero of the Godde-"

The ground shook then, and Link nearly lost his balance, sticking his harp away immediately and trying to regain his footing. A great roar took over the land, louder even than the cracking thunder he'd heard in Faron. He inhaled sharply when he realised what it was; the same sound the beast in his dream had made. That great, scaly monster that swallowed Zelda and paraded around his nightmares, gloating to him… that was the sound it made.

"This shaking… I fear the seal has been broken."

"The seal?" Link asked in a panic, turning around to face the woman.

"Yes. I expected it would react to your awakening the gate, but I never imagined the seal would break so quickly. Link, there will be time to explain later. Right now, you must hurry to the bottom of the pit outside."

He'd been there once before, the first time they'd visited the Sealed Grounds- the first time he'd come to the surface with Zelda. As terrified as he was of the great beast in his dreams, he could do nothing but run to the doors of the temple, and push them open, heading outside. The air was thick, suffocating, like the entire area had changed. Groose, cowering on the side, let out a yell.

"What's with all this shaking! The whole ground is heaving- I thought it was supposed to be solid down here!"

The old woman went to stand next to Groose, and rose her hand to Link.

"Go quickly, Link! You must get to the sealing spike at the center of the pit. There is nothing natural about these tremors. That monster could free itself any moment. Approach the pit with caution!"

Not letting himself think it over, he dove off the edge of the cliff and flung out his sail cloth several times before landing on the ground in front of the seal. The blackest of smoke was flying up from the bottom, and the seal markings on the ground were glowing red, fading in and out. _"That monster…" _the old woman's words echoed in his head, in a fast panic. The monster. The beast.

The smoke spread along the ground, seeping to the edge of the markings and suddenly growing in size. In one sudden movement, with a roar that shook Link to the bones, the monster that he'd been expecting to see threw itself out of the ground, stretching up and placing its big feet in front of Link, with three giant, white toes on each one. It looked down at him, with a teeth full of mouth, and seemed to sniff at him. Link's eyes darted to the sealing spike on his head; he'd have to hit it there, no doubt. It didn't seem to have any other weak spots, but getting it on the ground would be the issue. Surely taking out his feet would do the trick?

Still, as it stretched its head above itself and roared once more, turning the sky black, Link could only feel his heart sinking lower. This was his absolute greatest fear. _Besides losing Zelda,_ he reminded himself, and it was that thought right there that prompted him to draw his sword and shield. Knowing that Groose was up there, watching him, judging him… that was motivation as well.

"It must not reach the temple! Do not allow it to escape the pit!" the old woman yelled, and Link broke into a run towards the toes. As he slashed away at them, the beast became increasingly more irritated, and a strange sort of red electricity was emitted from his feet as he took his large steps. Careful to avoid getting squashed, Link took out all of the toes, and for a moment he thought it wouldn't be enough; until the monster let out an agonized cry, and fell backwards, down onto the ground.

Running as fast as he could towards its head, he struck the sealing spike deeper and deeper into its head, but it lifted up after a moment, clearly knowledgeable with what Link was trying to do. It flung itself forwards, and body glowing red, began to slither at a high speed along the ground. Panicked, Link lifted himself up onto the next level with his sail cloth and a spurt of air. He ran down to meet the beast, and for a moment he thought he was going to be squashed. However, it lifted itself up and reared, letting out another roar before proceeding to walk.

After a few more repeats of the toe slashing and hitting the sealing spike into his head, the monster finally glowed a bright white colour and seemed to stop. Link held himself on the wall, heart pounding. He watched as it burst into hundreds of little black scales, which flew straight down into the middle of the pit.

"Quick, to the pit," the old woman called out, and Link headed down there as fast as he could. Sealing it like he had before, he did an extra three slashes this time of his skyward strike, finally aiming at the ground and finishing the seal. The spike hit the ground once more with a loud thud, and the geysers around the area began bursting with air again.

"…Nice going, Li-"

Groose, behind Link, was cut off as the old woman had made her own way down the spiral ramp of earth.

"Ahh. Though the Imprisoned had only just begun to awaken and break its bonds, I am impressed you were able to restore the seal keeping it captive. Unfortunately, you have only succeeded in buying us a little more time in which to act. The behemoth you beat back into confinement is a horror of unspeakable power. Judging by what I saw, I would not be surprised if the seal gave way again soon. So you are left with precious little time to complete the task with which you have been entrusted. Return to the Sealed Temple, Link. There is much to discuss."

She turned away then, heading back up, and Link followed her until they got to the temple. She stopped in front of the dormant gate of time.

"As you can see, the gate is nothing more than a slab of cold stone for now. It is sleeping. Rousing it from its slumber would require great power. …Yes, I believe a shot of holy light from your Skyward Strike might just do it. However, for now, your sword lacks the power necessary to awaken the gate. First, you and your sword must grow together. Faron Woods… Eldin Volcano… and Lanayru Desert… A sacred flame is located within each of these lands. Seek them out and purify your sword in their heat. Only after your blade has been tempered by these three fires will it be fully imbued with the great power which you search. Clues to finding the sacred flames have been woven into the lyrics of a song precious to your people, the Ballad of the Goddess. These clues are your best hope of finding your way to the flames. Return to Skyloft. Somewhere on your island is one whose knowledge of this old song will point you in the right direction."

Link thought absently for a moment about Zelda, and the song she'd been singing. He couldn't remember the lyrics properly, or what they meant, but the heavenly sound of it still stuck in his mind.

Before he could concentrate on it, the doors opened behind him, and him and the old woman looked up in surprise to see Groose. He had some sort of twisted grin on his face.

"I hate even sayin' this, but I guess you got it all figured out, Grannie. Me, well, there's nothing I can do to help Zelda. I'm useless." "Ah. You sell yourself short, my friend. You'll see in time that you have your own role to play in all of this."

Link was nearly more surprised than Groose at that statement, giving the old woman a shocked look. Groose? His own role to play? What sort of a joke was that? Groose was clearly not interested, or was too embarrassed by what he'd already spoken, and the boy left through the front gates again. The woman turned to Link once more.

"Link, go now. Trust in fate to guide your feet. Your mission depends on it, as does Zelda's fate."


	14. The Thunderhead

It didn't take him long to return to Skyloft, and he dove down to the top door of the Knight Academy. When he got inside and knocked on Gaepora's door, he was surprised to see it open immediately, as if the headmaster had been planning on going somewhere. They stared at each other, mutually surprised.

"Oh! Link. Uh… please, come in," he gestured, backing up a few steps and opening the door wider so Link could pass through. "What did you need me for?"

"The lyrics to the Ballad of the Goddess," Link replied, pulling out his harp. He strummed a basic version of it, and Gaepora nodded.

"Yes, yes, the song Zelda had played during the Wing Ceremony, yes? I see you've got the same harp she had. Hmm… I can't remember all of it, but I'll recite to you what I remember. I hope you don't expect me to sing," the man said with a hearty laugh. Link shook his head quickly; no, that was the last thing he'd wanted. Gaepora continued. "Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land. Oh youth, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower, and before you a path shall open, and a heavenly song you shall hear. You know the Light Tower, I'm sure? There in the plaza? I can't help you about the two whirling sails, however… That's very interesting."

Link mulled over the lyrics in his mind and headed outside. If he was going to look for two whirling sails, his best bet was to go on top of the Light Tower itself so that he'd have a good view of Skyloft. When he got to the top, it wasn't tough to see the whirling sails that the song had mentioned; two, giant stone windmills of sorts were on near-opposite sides of the island, their sails pointed away from the light tower rather than towards it. Not wanting to waste any time, he jumped back down to the plaza and jogged towards the first one, near the bazaar.

A smaller, paper windmill was on the front of it. He stared at it for a moment, and then it clicked; the gift that Nil had given him.

Pulling out the gust bellows, he aimed at the center and put the machine into action. As it turned the smaller windmill, the entire structure turned, and Link stopped as it slowed to face the Light Tower. It set into place with a loud thud, and Link smiled. _That's not too tough._

When he got to the second one, however, he was frustrated to see that the smaller, paper set of sails, was not there. Before he could try to figure it out himself, Jakamar walked towards him, a hammer in one hand. He was always fixing things.

"What's up, Link? Curious about that windmill?"

Link nodded in response, watching him expectantly.

"Pretty smart design, isn't it?" he said, nodding appreciatively as he walked forwards. "See, you can turn the windmill so that it can always catch the wind no matter which way it's blowing. But, well, there used to be a little propeller… you know, so you could turn it. It flew off ages ago. Must have dropped down over the edge, beneath the clouds. The windmill's been pretty useless ever since."

Fi swung out of his sword once more, floating between him and Jakamar, who looked up at the blue entity in surprise.

"I highly suggest you retrieve the propeller from the land below so that you may reorient the windmill," Fi stated. Link nodded, looking at Jakamar expectantly. He blinked.

"What? Sure, I could fix it if you wanted, but you'd need the propeller. No clue how you'd get that back. I mean, Gondo at the scrap shop had some sort of flying robot that people used to use to haul things back from below the clouds… But I don't really believe that. He hasn't been able to get it working."

"Thanks, Jakamar," Link said, nodding to him and heading back towards the bazaar. He hadn't ever seen Gondo's so-called 'robot', but hopefully the story wasn't just a myth. When he got into the bazaar and stopped in front of Gondo, the man greeted him happily, cheerful as always.

"Hey, kid! What's up? You look like you need to get something off your chest! I think I know what it is. You've got a favor to ask me, right?"

"Yeah," Link said curiously, surprised that Gondo could read him so well. _Well,_ he figured, _this is where I come most often…_ "I'm curious about that flying robot you've got. Jakamar told me you guys used to use it to bring stuff back from the surface."

Gondo's smile dropped.

"Huh? …You probably just came by to make fun of the crazy junk guy for believing his grandpa's stupid stories. Well, get in line. I've heard it all before."

Link shook his head, laughing slightly. "No, Gondo, I believe it. I need to get something." "Seriously? So you believe me? Man, I'm happy to hear that, but I don't think I can help you. See, my grandpa's old robot, Scrapper, well… he's not much to look at these days. He was an amazing robot once! When you called him, he'd come straight away, and he'd go anywhere and haul anything! Sadly, as you can see, now he's just another busted ol' hunk of junk… But old Gramps told me you could get him working again with the extract from an Ancient Flower. It's like oil to this guy. I've got no clue where you'd get yourself one of those, though."

Link rummaged in his bag, pulling one out that he'd picked up at the Lanayru desert; only in the time shift areas, of course. He'd gotten a whole bunch of them.

"Here. This is it."

"What?" Gondo exclaimed, taking the flower and gawking at it. "Amazing! Yep, I can feel some slick, oily stuff comin' from the stem… I'll fix Scrapper with this! Gimme a moment!"

He stood up then, and moved into the back of his little shop. Link tilted his head, peering back at what looked strangely familiar; the robot was the same type as the ones that were in Lanayru desert. How did it get all the way up here? Link quietly prayed it didn't have the same attitude that the rest of them seemed to share.

"Whew, that's looking better!" Gondo said, wiping sweat from his forehead as he stood up. Link watched in surprise as the little robot took to the air, using a propeller attached to the top of his head. He had bigger hands than the rest, and he flipped around a couple times, looking very happy.

"Thank you, bzzrt! I've got a full tank of energy, and I'm ready to carry anything, zzzzt!" He paused, looking down at Link.

"Hmm? Who is this green-clad individual of small stature?"

Before Link could make a snaky reply, Gondo interrupted. "Woah! It talked! Can you believe that? Hey Scrapper, Link here gave me the materials I needed to fix you. Say thank you, go on now!"

The robot looked unimpressed.

"Are you sure it was him, phweep? Well then, I extend my reluctant thanks to you in a gesture of obligatory gratitude, verrrrrt-chonk."

"Hey!" Gondo said, looking unhappy. "That's no way to treat my customer! He needs you to carry something from him, and you're gonna help him out!"

"Hmmph. This individual may have restored my operations, but I am not inclined to offer assistance, zrrt. Serving children is very low in my task priority, dzzt!"

"Children?" Link snapped back, unable to stop the anger in his voice. "I'm-"

Fi interrupted him, the blue girl floating out of his sword and stopping to nod in greeting to Scrapper and Gondo.

"Master Link, I suggest we find an alternate way of transporting the propeller. I have added it as a dowsing option so that we may locate it."

"Who are you, zrrrt-fooosh? Your name is Fi? Can I call you Mistress Fi? Are you looking for something, Mistress Fi?" There was a pause, and Fi was looking at the robot- communicating with him, no doubt, the way she communicated to Link without speaking the same language. "I… I understand, whirr! I will carry anything regardless of weight or destination!"

Link's jaw dropped. _Seriously?_

"Master… you may now begin your search for the windmill propeller."

Link gave Fi an exhausted look, and she disappeared again. He nodded briefly to Scrapper and then left, heading outside and immediately drawing his sword, focusing on the lost propeller. As he turned in the direction of Eldin, the sword began sending pulses of energy up his arm; that's where it would be.

He headed back towards the lava-filled region, not excited to face the heat once again. As he flew towards the large, red pillar of light, he couldn't help but think of Zelda. What was happening now? What could Impa have been possibly teaching her? It was driving him crazy. He wanted to know everything. It seemed strange that while she was in the past, learning her fate… he was fixing windmills.

He landed next to the entrance of the Earth Temple, figuring he'd have a better view and angle of everything from up there. As he brought out his sword, he was surprised to see that it reacted most when he pointed it to the left. After navigating around a couple rocks, he could see it at the bottom of a sandy slope. A guard tower was there, with a bokoblin standing at the top, and so Link tossed a bomb down ahead of him, knocking the tower and the bokoblin downwards. When he got to the bottom, there was no mistaking it; there, lying on the ground for all to see, was the windmill propeller. It looked like it was in perfectly good shape. No doubt it hadn't moved since it had fallen, however long ago that had been.

Fi floated out next to him, and looked up into the sky. Link watched her curiously, and when she looked back and saw the expression on his face, she smiled lightly at him. Her expressions were barely noticeable.

"I am sending telepathic communication to Scrapper, informing him that we are in need of his assistance. We can now take the propeller back up to Skyloft."

It didn't take anytime at all and Scrapper came down from the sky, and he examined the propeller for a moment before looking at Fi.

"This is no problem, zzrt. I'll be happy to carry this for you, Mistress Fi! Master Shortpants, hurry up and show me where you want it!"

"Master- short-" Link was at a loss for words, but before he was able to regain himself, Fi interrupted.

"We should move quickly, Master Link."

He made sure to cast an angry look at the robot before running back up the slope and jogging back to the bird statue. Scrapper followed him upwards, and he jumped back on top of his Loftwing, heading course for the windmill. When they landed, Scrapper let the propeller drop with a loud thud.

"All done, phweep!" He floated away back towards the bazaar then, and Jakamar, who was nearby, gawked at what he'd just seen. Walking towards Link, the man was shaking his head.

"I don't know if I really just saw that, but was that Gondo's old junky robot?"

"We fixed it up," Link said, turning his attention to the windmill. "So, Jakamar, think you can fix this for us?"

"Well yeah, I suppose I could," he replied, scratching his head. He picked up the windmill and tossed it onto the rig, and pulled out of a bag of tools. Link sat himself down in the grass, staring out over the sea of clouds. It was weird thinking that Zelda wasn't out there somewhere; she'd gone back in time, so, she wasn't really anywhere. She was real, but… not part of the reality anymore?

His head started to hurt. He couldn't think about that. It was too complicated.

"Well, that looks about right!"

Link stood up, and Jakamar spun the propeller a little bit with his hand before nodding.

"Yep. All done. I guess-"

"Jakamar!" a woman's voice could be heard from a little ways away, and Jakamar blinked in surprise before sighing.

"Right… that girl is always asking me to fix stuff. Guess I better go."

"Thanks," Link called out to him as the man left. He turned, pulling out his gust bellows, and began shooting air at the propeller. It spun good as new, and the windmill didn't have to move far in order to face the Light Tower. It settled into place with a loud noise, and Link looked towards the tall building expectantly. Some sort of reaction took place at the top, and a large stone gazebo of sorts rose up out of the top.

_Good,_ he thought, _the windmill fixing wasn't for nothing._

For the second time that day, he climbed to the top. A pedestal with a mirror stood on the side, and small holes surrounded a hylian crest carved into the floor, creating a circle. Reminded of the circular stone in the Sealed Temple, Link pulled out his harp. He strummed absently for a moment; the first few notes of the Ballad of the Goddess; and the crest below his feet began to glow. His hair fell over his face as he looked down at it in surprise, and Fi swung out of his sword then. The crest in the stone began to emit a light that pulsated outwards and in again, just as it had in the temple. He had to play the Ballad of the Goddess.

As he played, Fi sang; it was the language Zelda had used while singing before. The circles burst with light as the song continued, until they completed it and Link couldn't help but grin in spite of himself. He was getting pretty good at the harp. _Girls love musicians,_ he thought to himself, an image of Zelda popping up in his head. However, he was distracted as the stones beneath him began to move. Struggling to keep his balance, he watched in surprise as it turned nearly 180 degrees. Sunlight coming in through a hole in the top of the stone gazebo hit the mirror, and it shone brightly, charging in quite the same way Link's sword did when he cast it skyward. It shot a burst of light that travelled straight towards the Thunderhead, hitting the wall of clouds with a sound that reminded Link of thunder. It had opened a path.

"Master, there is a high probability that this beam of light will lead us to clues as to the whereabouts of the three flames. I recommend you investigate what lies at the end of this beam of light."

"Planning on it," he replied with a smile, and Fi nodded curtly to him before disappearing.

He ran straight for the edge of the Light Tower and launched himself off of it, whistling, again, for his loftwing. The bird came quickly, obviously aware that he was going to be helping Link more than usual today. He flew up towards the beam of light, and soared towards his destination beneath it, dodging sideways occasionally when a tornado would appear. It was almost blinding when he reached the end and soared through the thunderhead; all of the light had collected at one place. However, when he came out on the other side, he was welcomed with spitting rain and strange flying bugs.

Avoiding the bugs, he directed his bird upwards, and noticed that the beam of light continued; it was shining straight to another building that resembled the Light Tower on Skyloft.

He dove off his loftwing and landed on an island directly across from the tower where the light was hitting, and was immediately confused. There were strange pedestals and statues everywhere, and one with three strange gems on it; two green, one blue. There was a large statue in the middle with a big slab of rock, for pushing, Link figured.

He gave it a shove. It moved, and as it did, one of the strange pedestals traveled along the ground, and an island outside of the one he was on. Parts of a bridge. He looked back towards the light tower, and noticed a very small hole in the bottom; he had to crawl through it. He had to build the bridge. Trial and error was his new friend.

It wasn't easy completing the puzzle without a bird's eye view, and he felt like he'd been there for half an hour before the bridge finally completed, giving him a path forwards. He had to give the Goddess her props; this wasn't a challenge for just anyone.

When he crawled through the small hole in the wall- covered with vines and bugs- he found himself in an area that reminded him of the inside of the Statue of the Goddess. The lighting was dim, and a Hylian Crest sat on a tall pillar, a few feet away from the edge of a stone pathway. As he walked over it, the dark area below him was slightly disconcerting, but he did his best to ignore it and struck the crest. It reacted the same way the others did, and as he sheathed his sword, he watched a statue of the Goddess raise up from below. The stone on the mouth moved, and the statue, somehow, seemed to be singing. His shoulders dropped. It was beautiful.

Fi moved out of his sword, floating up, between him and the statue. A light shone on her, and she glanced upwards for a moment, acknowledging it, before looking back at him.

"Master Link, I have important information. When you struck the crest with a skyward strike from your sword, a message from the Goddess awakened deep within my memory. The Goddess intended this message for you, Master. These are her words."

Fi began dancing, not unlike the way she had danced at each of the springs back down on the surface. "_He who seeks the sacred flames, listen well, for I guide you at the edge of time. The sacred flames are three in number. To obtain them, you must also earn relics known as the three sacred gifts. For each trial you overcome, you shall be blessed with one of the gifts… Make use of the power of these gifts, and you will find your way to the purifying sacred flames. Now, I bestow unto you a melody. It will serve you as a key, opening the first trial that awaits you deep in the wilds of Faron Woods._"

Link pulled out his harp as fast as he could, looking at the Goddess statue in front of him for a moment until the song started. He worked his fingers along to the rhythm, nodding along to himself. It was a very uplifting beat, and Fi, glowing green, began to dance and swing around the inside of the tower. He continued until he'd gotten the hang of it completely, and as he stopped, Fi dropped down to float next to him.

"That song is called Farore's Courage. Its rousing melody will guide you," she explained, and the statue, that Link figured must have been in tribute to Farore, moved back down to where it had come from. "Master, you must overcome the trials set before you and obtain the three gifts to reach the sacred flames. I have committed Farore's Courage to memory. Now, you may use your dowsing ability to search for the gate leading to the first trial you must face. I suggest you set out for Faron Woods as soon as you are ready."

The excitement that came from the discovery of the mirror on the Light Tower, the inside of the Thunderhead, and this strange, new song, suddenly disappeared. Trials. He had no idea what that entailed. He had to go through a trial, get a gift, and then search for the sacred flame… three times over. Impa told basically told him that he'd need a week, maximum, to do this, but he knew it couldn't be that easy.

He broke into a run, leaving the tower as fast as he could, running across the bridge and leaving to catch his loftwing once more. He'd go straight to Faron Woods. He couldn't waste time; this was all for Zelda. Regardless of what the trials brought forth, he'd do it. He had to.


	15. Courage

Thanks for the comments, guys! :)

* * *

When Link landed in Faron Woods, he was near the entrance, and proceeded to pull out his sword. This dowsing thing was becoming increasingly useful, and he muttered a small thanks to Fi as he began jogging in the direction that the sword reacted to. Being in Faron now was a relief; the calm, the serenity, the sound of birds chirping and the leaves rustling in the wind. He welcomed it with open arms now compared to the dry tenseness of Lanayru, and the hot, heart-pumping atmosphere of Eldin. Enemies were few and far between here in Faron now, and what Bokoblins did come after him went down with a couple hits; much easier than they'd been when he first came through here with Zelda.

He couldn't help but see her everywhere here; talking to the Kikwis, climbing up ledges and exploring with him, in that pink knight uniform of hers. As Link was suddenly very alone, wandering past the Great Tree towards the viewing platform, it began to sink in; he missed her. She'd always meant a lot to him, but now, this… he realised that nothing was stopping him. He was doing this whether he liked it or not, and it wasn't for the fate of the world, the Knight Academy, or for himself; it was all so that he could be with her, hopefully, and live in peace with her like they did before. If he'd realised one thing by now, it was that he loved her, more deeply than he'd ever thought possible.

He pulled out his sword again, his arm shaking as it pulsed faster and harder, pointed at the center of the clearing. It began emitting high pitched sounds, and he tucked it away, walking curiously towards the clearing of grass. About four or five butterflies were all hovering around it, and he pulled out his harp and began to strum.

As had happened in the Light Tower, the ground reacted. This time, however, it was some sort of circle, and light began pulsing in and out of it. Fi swung out of his sword, and Link could barely grasp the song, Farore's Courage; it came back to him after a moment, though, and he began to play. Fi sung along, the lyrics intangible, and once he'd gone through it fully, points of light lit up in a full circle around him. Blue lines spun out along the ground, forming the image of what looked like a flower. He looked at Fi expectantly.

"I have confirmed the appearance of a strange mark on the ground. I calculate a 90% probability that this mark is a Trial Gate, as mentioned by the Goddess statue we heard from on the Isle of Songs."

_So that's what that place is called,_ Link thought absently. Fi continued. "Thrust your sword into the center of the mark on the ground in front of you."

As she disappeared, he walked forwards, and did as she told- and then experienced the weirdest feeling of his life so far. He felt like he was passing out, falling asleep, and waking up all at the same time. Although his body stayed in one place, his mind felt like it was falling forwards as if he was collapsing from exhaustion; and then, suddenly, he found himself standing. The woods were darker now, and he looked at his hands in confusion, as they seemed to be glowing. He reached instinctively for his sword, only to find that it wasn't there. Before he could full-out panic, Fi's voice calmed his thoughts.

"Master Link. As I expected, I cannot follow you into this realm, for the trial calls out to your mind alone. This is the nature of places known as Silent Realms. They are domains of the spirit, accessible only to the Goddess' chosen hero. This particular trial, Farore's Silent Realm, tests the limits of your courage. Your spirit has temporarily separated from your physical body so that you may undertake this challenge. To reach the location of the flames that will enhance your sword, it is necessary for you to overcome this trial and undergo spiritual growth."

Before Fi could continue, Link felt a strange pulling sensation in his chest. Looking down, he saw that a bright light had appeared and suddenly, something pulled out of him. He held onto it curiously; a flower, it seemed, with what looked like 15 little buds running down the length of the stem.

"That mysterious plant represents your spirit, Link. It is known as a Spirit Vessel. When it is full, it will signify you have successfully completed the trial, allowing your spirit to grow. This, in turn, will allow the Goddess to bless you with a new power. To fill the Spirit Vessel, you must search for something known as a Tear of Farore. There are many of them spread across this strange world. Master, do you see the glowing object just in front of you?" He directed his gaze forwards, to the viewing platform. Sure enough, there, just before the steps, was a strange tear-drop shaped object. It glowed blue, and seemed to float slightly off the ground.

"That is a Tear of Farore. You will need to collect 15 of them. However, this is not as simple a task as it may seem. Your work in this realm is referred to as a trial for good reason. If you take even a single step out of the protective circle you stand in, Master, the Guardians of this realm will wake up and pursue you."

He looked warily at the circle around him. It was large, but… it was inevitable that he'd have to leave. His eyes darted back up to the viewing platform, landing on the strange armoured entity that stood at the top, hands resting on its sword. Its face was expressionless.

"If a Guardian manages to land even a single hit on you, your spirit will shatter and you will fail the trial."

"My spirit will shatter?" Link stammered, blinking in shock.

"Yes. You will not suffer any physical damage, and you may retry the trial as many times as you wish. You must collect the tears scattered throughout this area and fill the Spirit Vessel without being hit by an attack. Was my explanation clear, Master?"

"…Yeah," he replied sullenly, not looking forwards to what was ahead of him.

"I neglected to mention that every time you collect a Tear of Farore, you are given exactly one minute and a half in order to find the next one before the Guardians wake up once more. Also, a strange, glowing substance known as waking water is spread throughout the area. Contact with this substance will also cause the Guardians to awaken. I will be eagerly awaiting your return in the outside world. May the Goddess watch over you, Master."

Link went over a few things in his head before he decided to go. First, as soon as he left the circle, the Guardians would wake and come after him. He had no idea how many there were in the area, or how big the area stretched out, but he could already see several from where he was; most noticeably, Mr. Big and Tall at the top of the viewing platform. Second, every time he got a Tear of Farore, he'd be given a minute and a half to search for the next one. Third, he could see two tears already; surely, he could do this.

Hesitantly, he stepped out of the circle. The reaction that occurred was much more devastating than he'd expected. The cool, blue eeriness of the area suddenly turned into a red, tense, fear-filled ambience.

_Feels like Eldin,_ he thought briefly, and looked up in shock as the Guardian's eyes filled with light and the tall creature began walking towards him, sword raised.

He made a break for the tear in front of him, and grabbed it just in time. As if nothing had happened, everything returned to normal, the Guardian appearing once more at the top of the steps.

"That… was terrifying," he said to himself, unable to stop a shudder from traveling through his body. He looked around for the next tear, and upon spotting it, made a break for it. A Guardian with a watch light was floating back and forth above it, and it didn't take long for Link to figure out what for; if he was spotted underneath one of those, surely, the Guardians would wake. There were far too many ways for this to go downhill, fast.

As he collected more tears, a few light fruits, and several dusk relics, Link was beginning to calm down. This wasn't quite as hard as he'd expected. Still, the more tears he collected, the harder it became to find the rest of them. He headed back to the beginning, 14 tears down, confused as to where the last one was. He was pretty sure he'd seen a small blue light coming from over here earlier. As he spotted the glowing tear at the top of the viewing platform, he realised that it had been quite a while since he'd collected his last tear, and so he started running. As he got to the top, the calm atmosphere disappeared, and a guardian- directly behind the tear he was planning on grabbing- woke up.

It looked at him and he barely gave it a second glance as he dove forwards, narrowly avoiding a strike and landing his hands on the tear.

The world became silent once more. A blue light from the center of the circle on the ground below the platform rose up into the sky, clearly to serve as a beacon for his way back. Happily, he jumped down, rolling on the ground and breaking into a run to step back within the circle. The relief that washed over him was instantaneous. He'd done it. The first trial was over, and it hadn't been nearly as difficult as he thought it would be.

Something that resembled a larger tear itself floated down towards him then, and it burst into several pieces before he felt something land in his outstretched hands. It was some sort of fancy blue scale. Figuring it must have been one of the Goddess' sacred gifts, he pocketed it and walked into the pillar of light. The strange feeling ensconced him once more, and he 'woke up' in the physical world, pulling his sword out of the ground.

"Master Link, congratulations. You now have the power to proceed to the location of the first sacred flame that will enhance your sword. The Water Dragon's Scale is one of the Goddess' sacred gifts," she said, and Link pulled out the scale once more, admiring it for a moment a Fi continued to explain. "The great spirit of the Water Dragon has granted you the ability to swim freely underwater. The flame you seek is somewhere within these words… Master, I must conclude that this flame is somewhere you have not yet explored."

Link pulled out his map as Fi returned to the sword. His eyes scanned over it, and he pondered about the location of the sacred flame; somewhere he hadn't been. It was Farore's flame, and this was Faron woods…

His eyes darted up to the great tree. It was absolutely huge, and it was possible that it had a large interior… The flame could be up there. And if it wasn't, what better place to get a greater view of the area? He walked around the perimeter of the tree, only to find that there was no way to climb up it; but there did seem to be a hole at the bottom, underwater. _Time to give that scale a go,_ he thought, and he jumped, diving down into the little pool.

It was surprisingly easy to swim, and he made his way to the hole, finding himself in some sort of strange tunnel, all around the roots of the tree. He wasn't a fan of holding his breath for too long, but thankfully there were a few air bubbles that would come up from underground and he could catch a breath if he timed his swimming well enough.

Soon enough he found himself in a larger pool, and he headed for the surface. The 'room' he was in was all green, and covered in fungi. After climbing some vines to get to the top, he found that this was not an easy path, either. A good 6 or 7 Froaks were in the area, floating around mindlessly and eyeing him from a distance. Two platforms hanging from ropes were his only way to get to the other side, where he could see a pathway lit with light. It would take him back outside. He pulled out his gust bellows. With some good timing and good reflexes, he could blow the platforms and deflect the Froaks in order to make it across.

It was tough keeping his balance and keeping an eye on the froaks the entire time, but finally after some more gusts of wind and a few jumps, he clambered up onto the other side, and headed outside.

The tree had wooden platforms spiralling up the trunk, heading to the top, and as he made his way he was greeted with a plethora of enemies; keese, spiders, and bokoblins, namely. They were an easy kill, though, and soon enough he found himself traveling back into the tree.

His hope of finding the flame there was dashed as he was faced with a large creature, holding a spear and a shield, patrolling the small, thin path that led to the other side of the tree. Fi came out of his sword.

"Master Link, what you see in front of you is known as a Moblin. You could say it is a relative of the Bokoblin. It takes many more hits, however, and you will need to get rid of its shield. I do not recommend simply attempting to run past."

"Good info," Link sighed, drawing his sword. The giant creature spotted him then and grunted, walking slowly towards him, shield raised. Link attacked the shield first, slashing away, but momentarily forgot about the spear. The beast struck him, simply grazing his side, but still giving enough momentum to nearly knock Link off of the pathway. He clung to the side of it, hand hanging onto his sword still, his legs dangling off the side. It took him a moment to swing up, and he ended up behind the Moblin. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, he slashed away at it, wondering if any of this was doing any damage. Finally, however, it let out a cry and fell down upon its stomach, bursting into a puff of purple smoke.

He gripped his side for a moment; he'd been cut, but it wasn't a deep gash or anything, and so he continued on, ignoring the slight pain. When he got outside, he couldn't help but hear a strange sound. It sounded like some sort of bird… a very, very strange bird. He couldn't put his finger on it.

Nonetheless, he headed higher, jumping from platform to platform, anticipation rising in his stomach as he wondered if the flame was up here. However, when he finally got to as high as he could go, all he found was that the sound had become louder. He did have a brilliant view of Faron, however, and his eyes landed on a giant lake, just beyond the woods. It was huge.

And suddenly, he found where the sound was coming from. A Kikwi, sitting on a branch… _snoring!_

He pulled out his slingshot and hit the little thing with it, curious. It looked much older than the rest. And… more gross.

"Ahh!" it woke up with a start, eyes blinking open as it got to its feet. "Whoozit? I'm nappin! Ah-" it paused, noticing Link. "Ohhhh, lookit that. A real live human. Haven't seen one of you in a while. They used to call me Yerbal. Now I'm just the old Kikwi hermit… I watch over this forest when I'm not nappin'. I don't know how you wandered all the way over, but let me ask you something… can you really see me?"

Link stared at him in confusion.

"Yeah," he replied hesitantly.

"Is that so? Well then, slap yourself on the back, kwrrrk! Some Kikwis can't even see me these days. But forget all that nonsense and tell me, kwee, what business does a real live human have in these woods?"

"I'm looking for Farore's Flame," Link said, "and I thought it would be up here."

"Ohhh! No, no, boy. It's not up here. Let me guess, though, it's to enhance your sword? For the prophecy, kwrrk. How about that. …Listen, do you promise not to breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you to another soul? I'm serious! This is important stuff!"

"Sure, I promise."

"Alright. But remember, it's a secret to everybody. Well, back when the Goddess was still with us, she gave the flame to the Water Dragon, a great spirit that presides over Faron Woods. The way I hear it is that the Goddess gave it to the Water Dragon so that one day, the mighty dragon could pass it on to the "one from the sky"… You see, well, I've got a hunch the Goddess was talking about you, lad."

"Yeah, I'm… aware of that," Link said, curious about this Water Dragon.

"Well, that settles that. You must seek out the Water Dragon. Her lair is deep in a lake in the south of the woods, kwwwwwrk. She watches over the flame there. There's a problem, though. The gate that leads to that lake is sealed shut to all of those deemed unworthy. But don't worry. I'll let you in to the trick to opening the gate. In order to open it, you have to channel the power of the Goddess into the symbol carved on its doors, kwee! But the symbol is incomplete. You must make symbol whole. You must first find that completed symbol somewhere else here in the woods. It's not far away; try searching near the viewing platform down under this tree."

"That sounds easy enough," Link replied with a smile, though he still wished the flame had just been, well, out for him to grab. Clearly it was important enough that a dragon had to look over it.

"Oh! Wait! I forgot to mention something. Her Excellence, the Water Dragon, quite persnickety about manners."

_Persnickety? _

"So watch your manners! I've heard stories of folks who caught her in a fussy mood. They ended up as a midmorning snack, kwwrk! When you're in her hall, you'd better be on your best behaviour and be a gracious guest!"

_Easy enough,_ Link figured, and he jumped off the ledge of the tree, flying down. He immediately regretted not plotting his path, however, as he whipped out his sailcloth and landed in a tree. He tumbled down, sailcloth in hand, and finally rolled out onto the grass. He sat up immediately, inspecting the cloth; no rips. If that had ripped, he wasn't sure what he'd do. There would certainly be no easy way to get back up to Skyloft.

After silently thanking Zelda for her brilliant craftsmanship, he headed for the viewing platform. When he got to the back of it, he couldn't help but notice the symbol carved into the ground; and clearly, Fi had noticed it as well, as she appeared next to him.

"Master Link, look at this. This must be the symbol mentioned by the old Kikwi. Remember it well."

It wasn't a hard image to memorize, and after he decided he'd gotten a good enough look at it, he headed back to the other side of the woods. The gate wasn't easy to miss; large, white marble, not unlike the viewing platform and Skyview Temple. Channelling the Goddess into the symbol could only mean one thing, and so he drew his sword, charging up a Skyward Strike before pressing the tip against the gate.

Light flooded out from his sword, and he scraped it in a circle, sweat dripping from his forehead as he moved it. It was much tougher than he thought it was going to be; but after all, he was essentially carving a new pattern into the gate.

Once the circle was completed, he dropped his sword and caught his breath. The gate reacted immediately, cracking slightly, the doors sliding open in one smooth movement. They led out to a long pathway over the great lake, and Link walked down it slowly, taking in his surroundings. It was gorgeous here.

When he got to the edge, it was clear there was only one way to go. No ladders, no vines, just one big lake. The Water Dragon was down there somewhere, and she would hopefully have the flame he was looking for. He backed up a few steps, and took a deep breath. He ran to the edge of the path and launched himself off of it, flying down into the cool, watery depths of Lake Floria.


	16. The Water Dragon

When Link surfaced, he took a gasp of breath and shook his head, pushing the soaked blonde hair out of his face. He tread water for a moment and looked forwards, noticing that the current was pulling him towards some sort of underground tunnel. Without any choice in the matter, he dove down underwater and followed the path. It was lit a calming blue colour by a source Link couldn't pinpoint, and there were small eels and fish here and there, but they stayed out of his way for the most part. A strange squid-like creature caught his eye; as he looked at it, however, it panicked and began swimming away.

Curious, he followed it. It moved through a small break in a blockade of wood, which Link realised was weak enough to bash through. Twisting his body and kicking his legs, he burst through the wood, although he was worried he got splinters in his hair and possibly on his arms. Nonetheless, he followed the creature, which was suddenly cornered against a wall.

"Eek! What are you here for? How did you go through that? Wait- you must have the Water Dragon's Scale! Who gave it to you!"

Link moved to the surface of the small underwater pool they were in, relieved to get a breath of air. He looked down towards the creature, which warily made its way upwards.

"It was a gift from the Goddess to her chosen hero. That's me," he added, grinning slightly. "I need to speak to Faron. Could you show her to me?"

"Fine," it said resignedly, after a considerable amount of time had been taken up to stare at Link in a scrutinizing manner, "but you've got to be super nice. She doesn't like random creatures just barging their way into her lake."

"Thank you," he replied, diving back down and following the creature through a series of pools and tunnels. A couple giant fish had taken over one of them, and Link had to use his spinning manoeuvre as an attack against them. He received a couple bumps and bruises from not only the giant fish, but the underwater Froaks, which poked and exploded in his face far too frequently. There really was no escaping it, and he wasn't nearly as comfortable underwater as he was on land. This was all way too new.

"This is her hall," the squid finally said, leading him into a much bigger cavern, with more squid creatures like itself scattered around. It was clearly where most of them spent their time. H

He swam to the surface and headed for the center of the room, where a platform sat out of the water. A giant basin sat in the center, and he looked at it curiously for a moment until a head poked out; a dragon's head.

Link nearly yelled in surprise, but remembering Yerbal's words, he resisted.

"H-hello," he stammered, and the dragon looked at him curiously, her deep navy eyes studying him.

"Oh… a human," she concluded, nodding. "I see you have one of my scales. Those are very precious, you know. You have introduced yourself into a sacred place very many people may enter," she said absently, though the frustration in her voice was evident. Link nodded nervously.

"You're the water dragon, right?" _Stupid question._

"I am," she replied curtly. "Those with manners address me as Faron, warden of the woods. I was appointed by the Goddess herself, after all. Though my current stature is less than, well, intimidating, shall we say, know that you stand in the presence of a loyal servant to the Goddess. Though I suppose you could be the same, as a sacred gift such as my scale could only be carried by her chosen hero. Could that really be you? This raises questions," she mused, looking thoughtful. "Even with that scale in your possession, finding my hall is no easy task. How did you find me?"

Before she could give Link a chance to lie about how he found out, she continued. "Oh, yes, I know. That old cackling hermit Kikwi told you, didn't he? I can see it in your face. Honestly! I can't remember how many times I've told that scruffy thing to keep his mouth shut. That's the last straw. Next time I see him, he's dinner!"

Link winced. _Shit._ Still, he couldn't get rid of the idea that such an old Kikwi should have been dead already.

"Oh, but I digress… You've come here looking for a sacred flame, yes?"

"Yes!" Link replied enthusiastically, wondering where she could be keeping it. "Farore's Flame, so I can enhance my sword."

"I'll be straight with you, boy." Her sudden tone of voice took Link off guard. "A shrimpy kid like you hardly looks the part of the Goddess' chosen hero. There's no doubt about it. A test is in order to prove you're everything you say you are. Shortly before your arrival, I was attacked by a pompous creature calling himself Ghirahim."

"That son of a bitch," Link muttered under his breath.

"Agreed," Faron replied bluntly. "I stood against that self-proclaimed Demon Lord, but I was nonetheless wounded in the encounter. The wounds he's given me are stubborn things. I have been forced to recuperate in this basin of sacred water. Unfortunately, the healing properties of the sacred water have diminished, and I am now in need of another dose to freshen up my healing bath. Bring me the container of fresh sacred water that I require. Do me this favour, and I'll gladly show you where to find the sacred flame you desire. What say you?"

"Sure." He didn't have much choice at this point. Proving himself to the water dragon couldn't be an easy thing- but a game of fetch was easier than some sort of physical challenge, at least.

Fi flipped out of his sword, landing between him and Faron.

"I am analyzing the water remaining in this basin… Excellent. I can now help you dowse for the location in which to find more sacred water. I recommend you bring an empty bottle with you so that you may transport it."

As Fi disappeared, Faron spoke to him again. "If you continue down the path behind me, you will find an exit back to the woods. Now run along! One does not keep a dragon waiting."

Link nodded to her before jumping off the platform, and swimming towards the exit at the end of the room. When he got outside, he was surprised to see that the area resembled the Sky and Earth springs; water flowed in from a source up, above the cliffs, creating a small pool. This one, however, was deeper, and the clearing was smaller. He looked around for some sort of exit, finally seeing a windy path to his right. As Faron had said, it led back to Faron Woods, and he pushed a log blocking his way down onto the ground below. At least now he could find his way back, and not go through the entirety of Lake Floria again.

Link pulled out his sword, focusing on the idea of this sacred water, using it to dowse once more. It pointed deeper into Faron Woods, and as Link followed his sword and the pulsing energy it gave off, he found himself back at the entrance to the Deep Woods. He had to take a back route to get to the entrance of the Skyview temple, and he frowned as he realised that his sword was telling him to return within the temple. That's where the sacred water was? _Really? _

He pulled out his shield and headed inside, wondering if the interior had changed at all, and if he'd still remember the path he had to take. Thankfully, there were a couple shortcuts he'd put in place before, in case he got lost or was sent out outside for some reason; they came in handy now, and it didn't take long before he found himself back in the large room, with the bird statue. A new enemy faced him here; some sort of three-necked, three headed snake. They cruised the area mindlessly, poking here and then at the skeletons of dead bats on the floor.

As he moved along the edge of the wall, a couple of them spotted him.

"No- no no no-" _Hopeless._ It was too late, and the snake-like creatures were onto him, no matter how many times he circled around the statue in the middle of their room. Finally facing up to them, he slashed away at their eyes, their entire heads and necks bursting open as he did so. It took a while before he figured out that their heads actually _regenerated_ if he wasn't able to get rid of al three at once. He suffered a few small bites and some nasty, goopy stains on his clothes, before finally ridding of them.

Eventually he made his way to the large room at the end, and he couldn't help but think of Nil and Zelda. Getting through here the first time had been far too easy, not to mention.. Reassuring. He tried to push thoughts of Zelda out of his mind. This had been their first dungeon together, and the first time he'd been introduced to Nil. Ghirahim had been here, as well; Link hoped that the demon lord wouldn't be here again to greet him.

When he walked into the room where he had fought Ghirahim, another new monster pulled itself together in front of him. It was a skeleton, with a small helmet and two swords, and it began walking towards him, swords angled.

"Master Link," Fi greeted him, swinging out of his sword as he slashed away at the beast in a slight panic.. "I can confirm the presence of sacred water in the Sky Spring. Furthermore, the enemy you are currently fighting is known as a Stalfos. You must hit it where it isn't guarding."

She disappeared again.

"Good info," Link said sarcastically; this was nothing he hadn't already figured out.

When he finally defeated the stalfos, reverting it back into nothing more than a pile of bones, he looked at it curiously. Would it come back together again? Or was that a one-time thing? Had it actually been a person before? He didn't want to let his mind linger on it too much, so he let out a shudder and proceeded out the back door, into the Skyview Spring.

His sword pointed him towards one of the smaller waterfalls, where a few pink sprites were floating around. Link realised then that he still had a bottle with one trapped in it; that was still from the last time he had been here.

Clearly, the fairies were fond of the sacred water. Careful not to disturb any of them, he scooped up a bottle of the sacred water- it was much more sparkly than regular water- and waded out of the pool, lying down on the stone platform across from the Hylian Crest.

The sun kept him warm and he soaked up the heat, letting his eyes fall shut momentarily. Maybe he could lie here and dry off for a bit. Dream about Zelda. Forget everything. He could hear Fi come out of his sword, and he knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"Master Link, we should get this sacred water back to Faron as soon as possible."

"Yeah, yeah."

When he finally returned to Faron via the path in the woods, the water dragon gave him an expectant look.

"Well, well. Took you long enough. Let's have it."

He stepped up, and, pouring it into the basin, watched as Faron reacted immediately. She seemed to surge, and within moments she flew up into the air, letting out a satisfied laugh. Link gasped, his jaw dropping- she was huge. It was a gigantic dragon. Fi swung out of his sword, watching with interest, and Link looked at her incredulously.

"How did that dragon fit in there?"

"There is an 80% chance that she is able to curl up the lower portion of her body."

"And the 20%?" Link asked, wondering if he'd simply rather not know. He turned his attention back to the dragon, and she folded her arms and looked down at him with a smug smile on her face.

"Exquisite! I can feel its energy surging through me. Behold, the true majesty of Faron, water dragon and guardian of these lands! I stand tall, healed, and whole once again! Human. You have done well to bring me the sacred water I asked you for. I see now that it was no coincidence you completed the Goddess' trial and obtained a scale of mine. In turn, I will grant you the favour you asked of me and lead you to the sacred flame of my land. Come."

Casting a look at Fi, Link nodded, following the dragon until they emerged outside of Lake Floria. The area they came into looked quite a lot like the sky and earth springs, but built into the cliff side were two majestic pillars, surrounding a grand waterfall. Link stood on a stone platform, barely raised above the level of the water filling the small pool, which was dotted with lily pads. Faron hovered above him, her tail barely hitting the water as she turned and faced the waterfall. It only took a moment, and the dragon was clearly putting her power to good use; the water climbed backwards until it eventually disappeared, revealing an intricate building connected to the pillars, and a great door.

Link took a step forwards, eyes wide. The flame had to be in there. He could practically feel it- but he wasn't sure if that was just the excitement surging in his chest.

"Go," Faron spoke, "the sacred flame you seek lies within this place. While the waterfall has barred the entrance for many years, monsters have still found their way in… and inside, they flourish. Ah, but, you are the Goddess' chosen hero. Swatting a few monsters will be no trouble for you."

Link looked at her uneasily. The nervous excitement that had filled his heart before was replaced with the usual feeling he got when walking into these terrifying places. But it couldn't stop him.

Faron continued. "I imagine you and I will cross paths again. Until then, do not lower your guard. Farewell, boy."

The dragon turned and launched herself into the sky, disappearing from sight in no time at all. When Link finished watching her go, he turned to face his newest challenge.


	17. The Ancient Cistern

As Link entered into the new dungeon, his mouth dropped open a little bit and he looked at his new surroundings with awe. It was beautiful- a fitting temple for Faron Woods, much more than Skyview, in his opinion. The light was golden, sun shining in from various skylights closer to the top, circling the dome-shaped roof. Below, water filled the area and lily pads spotted the surface. It was huge. He was much more comfortable here than he expected to be, and although he looked, he couldn't see any monsters. Not yet, anyway. In the center of the room stood a giant statue, with what looked like some sort of spiritual face at the top- it was absolutely gigantic. _Zelda would love it here. _His eyes landed on a door built into the middle structure- unfortunately, it was locked.

"Master Link." He looked sideways to see Fi, who nodded to him with a small smile. "We are in the Ancient Cistern. Farore's Flame is here somewhere. I suggest you begin your search."

She disappeared, and Link took her advice to heart, beginning to move around the area. It was full of lily pads, tons of water, and switches. Not the easiest place to navigate, but interesting and, so far, not very threatening. The few chuchus that got in his way weren't anything special, and the skulltula spiders weren't new either, but after a little while he was much more soaked than he'd wanted to be. The lily pads, though they added to the general aesthetics of the temple, had horrifyingly sharp prongs beneath them that Link now had to avoid in order to save himself a few hearts. Eventually he found a key, and he headed back to where he'd started, hopping nimbly across some of the lily pads to get himself in front of the locked door.

After opening it and lifting it open, he stepped into the middle of the giant statue.

"Wow," he breathed, finding himself on the edge of a circular room. There was a giant opening in the middle, but he was focused on the top. Way up above was a gigantic floral door. Fi came out once again.

"Master Link, I have taken the liberty of determining that a door is located at the uppermost section of this statue. The lock is unfamiliar to me."

"No doubt one of those weird ones, like what we saw before," Link said. Fi gave the slightest of shrugs and swung back into his sword. He returned his attention downwards- it looked like the bottom of the statue. Something was there, but he couldn't see just what, and so he jumped down, whipping out the sail cloth before he got too close to the bottom. It became very apparent very fast what he'd been looking at, and he landed next to a great big pile of bones and weapons.

A great big pile of bones and weapons that came to life.

Stuffing the sailcloth away as fast as he could, he pulled out his sword and turned back to face what looked like a bigger version of the Stalfos he'd faced on his second trip into the Skyview Temple. It screamed at him, bones clacking, and Link began to slash away, looking for open spots. It wasn't a tough battle, and he'd managed to get through so far without a scratch- until the skeleton pulled out two more gigantic swords from within itself.

Four swords held up, it only left one spot open, if that, and switched constantly, leaving Link to jump forwards, guess, and hope for the best with whatever way he was slashing. It took a lot longer now, but after a few scrapes, some heavy hits, and a lot of luck, the skeleton collapsed. Link watched the hips and legs stumble around a moment before they floppd ver. He sheathed his sword and looked around, finally finding a door, the bars only just lifting up and allowing him entrance.

Inside, he was excited to find a chest- a map? A compass? Treasure? But when he finally did reach inside and pull out the contents, his smile disappeared.

…_a whip?_

"Well," he muttered out loud to himself, heading back into the room with the bones, "maybe it'll be handy."

It came in use quicker than he'd thought as he realised there was no way out of there, and the only thing in the room was what looked like a gigantic faucet that he couldn't move himself. Using the whip, he latched on, pulled, and created a gush of water that took him all the way up to the top. This entire place was like a hydraulics system.

Link left out the door he'd come in before, wondering what he could use his new tool on. It didn't take him long to find another place to use it- what looked like giant vines coming out of the wall granted him a path to a new area, and he swung across, impressed at the strength of the rope on the whip. When he finally pulled the dungeon map out of the chest, a new enemy greeted him- with a screech in his ear.

Claws ripped down his left arm and he gasped in pain, turning to find himself facing a gigantic red bird. He took out his sword and it flung itself back up into the air again, it's gigantic tail swinging back and forth. Again, the whip came in handy.

After discovering that he could use it to flip over upside-down lily pads, Link discovered a new underwater passage that took him to an entirely new area of the dungeon. A great pool stood in the middle of the room he found himself in, but almost immediately an arrow hit the ground next to his left foot. Breaking into a sprint, he took out the few bokoblins in the room that he could find, climbing and circling around until he found himself in a room with another one of the faucet switches.

Pulling it with the whip, he turned around in surprise as he heard a great rushing sound from the room below him. The pool at the bottom of the room had now turned into a whirlpool, and something had opened up in the bottom. His stomach sank. He had to go down there.

He broke into a small run, jumping off and diving through the air, holding his breath at the last moment as he plunged into the churning depths of the water. It pulled and tugged at him, finally churning him out of a pipe. It took him a moment after he surfaced for his eyes to get used to the light, and the cold chilled him to his bones as a few spiders dropped down over the lily pads. This was nothing like the rest of the temple. The comparison between the golden, light-filled area above and this eerie, cold, damp creepiness below was tugging at his mind. Not everything was as it seemed. Still, he proceeded.

When he finally reached an area where he could look out over the creepy-as-hell basement, he saw an even worse sight- a gigantic pit of bones, and sitting in the middle, a chest that was unmistakeable. It would hold the key to the top of the temple, where, hopefully, Farore's flame was.

It took a lot longer than he'd expected until he finally found the chest with the key. A new sort of bokoblin had emerged- a scary mindless sort that clung to him and only died with fatal blows. They were inconvenient to say the least.

As Link opened the chest and took out the key, a horrible transformation occurred- the statue above began to drop, and more of the mindless bokoblins appeared out of the bones. Without much else to do, Link ran straight between them, finding himself clambering over the edge just as the bottom of the statue fit itself into place, crushing the enemies behind him. Now, a door stood in front of him, and he had only one place to go- all the way up.

With the little key in hand, he made use of the faucets and torrents of water, lifting himself all the way to the top where he finally fumbled with the key long enough to get it to open. As it did so, he followed the stairs up to the top, where he found himself with even more faucets to pull. After pulling them all up, the entire statue began to rise and he struggled to keep his balance, finally finding himself in a new room where he took some hearts and headed down the stairs. When he entered the next room, he heard an all too familiar laugh. Following the sound, he saw Ghirahim, the demon lord, perched on a pillar in the middle of the room. Legs crossed and chin in hand, he watched Link with an evil grin.

"You certainly are persistent."

"I can say the same about you," Link snapped back, walking forwards with his sword drawn. Ghirahim lifted a hand, shaking his head.

"Oh, no. See, I'm terribly busy trying to find the clues that will help me revive the demon king. Your incessant buzzing around my head like some irksome gadfly when I'm _this_ busy is… well, it's making me very disagreeable." He lifted his hand, as if to snap and disappear- the usual trick- when he paused and looked back at Link over his arm.

"Say, boy, how does it feel knowing I'm going to destroy that girl you love so much? Seeing you in pain really does cheer me up."

"You wo-" he was interrupted by the sound of Ghirahim's fingers snapping, and the demon disappeared in a flurry of diamonds that dissipated into the air. It was followed by a sudden rumbling, and a bunch of what looked to be pieces or parts on the ground suddenly came together, forming some sort of gigantic, golden Buddha robot. Link gawked as it pulled out two blades and slammed its arm onto the ground next to Link, sending him staggering backwards. His eyes landed on the familiar shape that was located on the hinges of its arm- he had to use the whip to tear it off.

It wasn't fun tempting the giant beast to swing its arms down, but eventually he took them out and ran for the gigantic pulsing red orb in the middle that had to be the heart and energy source of the monster. As he attacked it angrily, he couldn't help but think that this wasn't what he thought was up here- was this some sort of trap from Faron? Or was the flame still here somewhere? Surely this beast wasn't meant to be evil, or… was it just here to stop everyone, whether Ghirahim was there or not?

Link didn't have much time to think as the beast recreated itself and the battle started all over again. Eventually it transformed, and Link found himself having to take one of the creature's own new, gigantic swords and cut down its legs. The swords, although huge and powerful, were not easy to carry and it took Link a while to get used to the weight and land enough hits on the automation until it finally collapsed for good.

Exhausted, with blood dripping down from his shoulder, Link watched in surprise as the room turned purple, the light lifting up to fill it. Once again, the temple was pretty. A glowing door on the other side of the room beckoned him, and as he reached it the door itself faded away. He reached another room and headed for a familiar looking crest at one side of it, raising his sword and doing what he'd always done in the presence of these crests; charging a Skyward Strike. The crest glowed upon impact and a symbol appeared, a small green one that glowed and then fell dim again. All at once, a great green flame rose in front of him, and Link let out a breath in shock. It was breath-taking and he could feel the heat from where he was standing.

Fi came out, appearing in front of the flame, facing it instead of Link. She lifted out her arms and the flame engulfed her, creating a giant green ball of fire that suddenly shot itself around the room, bouncing off the walls with uncontrollable energy. Finally, it hit the ground right in front of Link, and he shielded his eyes somewhat until Fi emerged from the flames, just barely.

"Raise your sword, master."

He did as she told and held it out. Smaller bursts of green flame flew at his blade, and he had to hold it with two hands just to keep himself from dropping it as the heat coursed through his the sword. It glowed for a moment and he lifted it up, staring at it, when suddenly it seemed to grow. It was brighter and longer, and he stared at it with a great big boyish grin on his face for a moment. He sheathed it, but before he could talk to Fi, a burning sensation too over his right hand and he lowered it to see one small glowing triangle shining through his glove. The pain and heat went away after a little while, and Link tucked it to the back of his mind for the time being.

"The sacred flame has purified your blade, enhancing and evolving it," Fi explained. "With your sword now enhanced, you are ready to learn a new melody. We should return to the Isle of Songs."

When he finally reached the entrance of the temple once again, he was greeted by Faron, the water dragon.

"Ahh, the sword you carry is different since I last saw you. Yes, I see it is much improved. To think, the Goddess' chosen hero is but a mere boy. Quite a twist! Chosen hero or not, you do not yet possess the strength to wield the full power of that blade. You must train yourself further! Devote yourself to this task."

_No problem_,_ Link thought to himself, nodding along with what Faron was saying. After saying farewell, she lifted herself away again and Link made his way to the nearest bird statue. Using his sail cloth to lift back up into the air, he called for his loftwing and headed to the Isle of Songs._


	18. Wisdom

WHAT? SHE FINALLY UPDATED HER STORY? WHAAAAAT

Yeah so university kicked my ass, but my last week of the semester is this upcoming week and I'm sorta kinda used to university now! As in, I will be able to multi-task from now on and update at least semi-regularly. I'm so sorry you all had to wait so long, and I'd like to thank all of you that continue reading, following, and writing reviews! It's the best sort of motivation!

The next chapter will be up before the end of this week, so look forward to that! Thanks for reading! :)

* * *

As Link descended onto the Isle of Songs once again, he was relieved to see that the completed puzzle had remained intact and he wasn't required to do another challenge before crawling through the entrance again. Unfortunately, he was much more exhausted than last time, and decided he'd go back to Skyloft before heading down to his next destination. Fi flipped out of his sword as he approached the floating crest, tilting her head at him curiously.

"Master Link, you have only half a week left before your one week is up. I suggest you hurry."

"I'm just going to stock up back home and then go down, even if it's night time. I'll just fly fast."

As he approached the crest he lifted hit sword, holding it upwards and watching as the blue light surged downwards through it. It was nice that it was a bigger, stronger sword now – cutting down enemies was easier, and he was excited to see what sort of 'upgrades' he'd receive from the next sacred flame. Slashing it downwards, a ray of light went flying at the crest, hitting it and causing it to spin rapidly. When it finally slowed to a stop, the entire tower began to rumble until a statue of the Goddess was lowered down from the ceiling. Link watched it curiously and pulled out his harp, preparing himself for another tune.

Fi repeated something he'd already heard: "Master Link, I have important information. When you struck the crest with a skyward strike from your sword, a message from the Goddess awakened deep within my memory. The Goddess intended this message for you, Master. These are her words." She began dancing again, swaying forwards as she began.

"He who seeks the sacred flames, listen well, for I am the one guiding you from my place at the edge of time. Two sacred flames remain. Should you desire to possess them, you must obtain the other sacred gifts. For each trial you overcome, you shall be blessed with another gift. Harness the power of these gifts, and let there be no doubt you shall find yourself standing before the majesty of the sacred flames." Fi began to spin. "Now, I give you another melody. It will serve as a key to unlocking your next trial, which awaits you in the shifting sands of Lanayru Desert."

Lifting his harp, Link listened carefully as Fi began to glow blue, and propelled herself up and towards the walls of the tower, where she danced along them, leaving bits of light like fireflies in her trail. The song began and Link began to play along carefully, paying attention to the notes as he hit each one. It wasn't quite as cheery as Farore's Courage, but it had a certain positive tone to it, and he smiled a little bit as he continued, forgetting somewhat about the urgency and importance of his task. Finally, it finished, and Link tucked his harp away, letting out a sigh.

"The song you just heard is called Nayru's Wisdom. Use this song of knowledge to find your next trial," Fi said, floating down to hover next to Link. "You can now use dowsing to locate the second trial." She disappeared again, and Link turned slowly to walk and crawl out from the giant stone building, launching himself once again off the edge of the isle and catching onto his loftwing to soar up and out of the thunderhead.

By the time he reached Skyloft, the sun was already beginning to set. He jumped off his loftwing and landed fast, jogging a bit before he stopped. He looked over his shoulder to his sword.

"Fi, I'm gonna spend the night, but I'm going to get up extra early to get started with the rest of the trials, so don't worry!" There was no response, and he wondered faintly if she'd even heard him, but nonetheless he headed to the Knight academy and snuck in the second-floor door, tip-toeing past the instructor's rooms to get to Zelda's. Maybe he was just a hopeless romantic, or maybe the smell of her bed was intoxicating, or maybe it was both, but he much preferred her room than his. The only downside was that he couldn't be caught. At least since Groose was down on the surface now, there was no chance of the lovestruck red-head wandering in. _Lust-struck is probably a better term, _Link decided after a moment, shutting the door to the bedroom quietly behind him and then plopping down on the bed. _I wonder how that big goof is doing down there._ Hopefully he and the old woman could look after each other, and hopefully Groose hadn't changed his mind and went off on some dumb quest to try and save Zelda himself. If only he knew that she'd gone back in time.

He lied down then, staring up at the ceiling and feeling suddenly emotional as he thought about her. It was tough to tell her exactly how he felt. Something in him kept that sappy truth from coming through, and it always came out as wanting a kiss, or finding her cute, or that horribly truthful rhetoric about feeling overwhelmingly protective of her. Now that she was gone, and he had to trust that Impa was capable of keeping her safe, he felt somewhat lost, and also wished that he could somehow convey all of the feelings in his heart. It seemed impossible. He couldn't even put them into words. Words weren't enough.

"Figures," he muttered out loud. "my actions are the only things that matter now." A loud snore came from the other side of the parted room, and Link remembered with a shock that Karane was there. She was a pretty deep sleeper, but he had to remember to be quiet. After relaxing a little bit, he fell back into deep thought. _It's true enough. If I don't get this done on time, and if I can't get back in time to meet her before Ghirahim finds the second path… shit. _There was no use thinking too much about it now, so Link gave himself into sleep, dozing off on top of the blankets.

"Hmm…?" Link woke up slowly, feeling someone shaking him lightly. He heard some sort of familiar voice, but he could only make out a few of the words as he regained consciousness. "- Link, wake up."

"Zelda?" he asked quietly, opening his eyes in surprise, only to see Fi floating in front of him. Her expression dropped as Link blinked, letting out a breath as he remembered what was going on.

"It's still dark out," he said quietly but angrily, frustrated and grumpy at his mistake.

"I'm sorry, Master Link, but you said you wanted to wake up early. The sun is about to rise," Fi explained, and Link's eyebrows rose.

"Oh. Oh, no, I'm sorry. Thanks," he said, standing up and realising he didn't have to get dressed. He'd fallen asleep with all his clothes on. _Well,_ he thought with a sigh, _time to go to work._ He picked up his sword as Fi disappeared into it, and grabbed his shield next, strapping it onto his back while he left the room and headed outside.

No one was awake right now, and so he ran quietly to the closest wooden launch point, jumping off and calling his loftwing, who took a little longer than usual to come and pick him up. The bird screeched tiredly.

"Sorry buddy," Link said with a bit of a smile as they headed towards the giant yellow pillar of light. "Lots to do."

He landed at a spot that he figured was the middle of the desert, tucking his sailcloth away and pulling out his sword to try and dowse for the trial gate. It began pulsing much harder than he was expecting it to, and he jumped down the edge of the wall he'd landed on, heading only a few feet forwards until he ended up in a small cloud of butterflies.

"Cute," he said absently, taking out his harp and beginning to strum the notes to Nayru's Wisdom. A flower of light spiralled out around him, and Fi appeared once again, beginning to sing along as he continued to play. His heart sank a little bit – was this trial going to be the same as the one he'd faced in Faron Woods? A silent realm? That one had been terrifying enough. He couldn't imagine doing the same thing here, but he struck his sword into the ground after the song anyway. Once again, he felt like he was falling asleep and waking up at the same time, his eyes falling shut and then open as he lifted his head and found himself in the Lanayru silent realm.

"Goddamn it," he said resignedly, listening to Fi's faraway voice as she told him again what had to be done. 15 tears. Don't get caught by the guardians. Same thing as before, but in a desert. _Great._

He took a look around, spotting one to his left over some sand patches, figuring it would be good to get that one over with. Wanting to get this done and over with as fast as possible, he ran out of the circle and didn't stop, even as the light became harsh and his heart began beating faster and faster, knowing he was being chased. He had to run as fast as he could in the thick sand to get to a rocky sort of platform, and then run again to get to the tear. Fear caught in his chest as he realised something was right next to him – one of the hovering guardians was just past his right shoulder, and as he turned in shock to look at it, its sword came crashing down. The pain he felt then was unbearable, but not in any sort of a physical way. All of his energy leaving him, he dropped down to the ground and immediately awoke again inside the circle – things had returned to normal.

"You have failed, but you may try again as many times as you wish, Master Link." Fi's voice seeped through, and Link rolled his eyes, getting back up on his feet. _What was I gonna do? Give up?_

Straight ahead, near the stairs to what Link figured was the Lanayru Mining Facility, was a tear – but on the way there was a guardian. Still, he knew there was no chance of going for the one on the left again, so that was his only choice. Not bothering to waste any more time, he broke into a run, jumping and rolling as the guardian near him awoke and swung its sword down, only to hit the sand as Link got back onto his feet and dove for the tear. Immediately, things returned to normal – dark, blue, and somewhat creepy and comforting at the same time. Now he had to search for the rest.

It was certainly a tougher game than it had been in Faron – there were certainly more guardians, as well as Waking Water. In the north of the desert, he'd awoken the guardians by accident, but managed to escape them all the way back to the mining facility, where he clambered up to one of the many tears that sat on top of it.  
Nearly out of breath, Link jogged to the last tear – the first one he'd tried to grab – and then returned to the circle. He couldn't help but wonder if the next trial would be any harder, but surely he was at least gaining some skills from this? _Problem solving. Real useful._ As he walked back into the circle, it lit up and a great yellow tear-shaped pod floated down towards him. As he held out his hands, it burst into a cloud of petals, eventually leaving something rather heavy in his hands.

"Those are clawshots," Fi explained. "You can aim and fire these to vines or targets in order to bring yourself to new destinations." He headed into the pillar of light at the center of the flower, and looked down again in surprise as he watched himself disappear.

"Congratulations, Master," Fi exclaimed as Link re-awoke in the regular world. The brightness of the desert blinded him for a moment, and it took a minute for him to become accustomed to the light again. "You have completed the trial. You now have the power to proceed to the sacred flame that will be entrusted to your sword and your strong spirit. Those clawshots are one of the Goddess' sacred gifts. The flame is somewhere in the desert… I conjecture that it lies in a place you have not yet been, Master."

She disappeared again, and Link glanced sideways at what must have been a 'target' nearby. Eager to try out his new toy, he aimed it and let go, firing the chain at the wall. The moment it latched, he grinned, but his face dropped as his body was suddenly lurched forward. Unprepared, he slammed face-first into the wall, and groaned a moment as he hung near the top of it. When he finally regained himself, he hoisted himself up. He'd have to remember to, well, be prepared to grab onto whatever he was flying towards. At least they were certainly powerful tools.

As he thought about where to go next, he couldn't help but remember a great waterfall of sand – _sandfall? - _ that he had passed when first coming into the desert. It had had targets going all the way up; there could have been something at the top there. Figuring that was as good a guess as any, he headed towards the great mass of falling sand and began climbing his way up, slowly getting more used to the lurching feeling of the clawshots. When he finally got to the top, his suspicions were confirmed – in front of him was the entrance to a cave. Unsure of what he'd meet inside, he drew his sword and entered, only to discover that it was a relatively short, albeit dark passageway, and he found himself in a cavernous room shortly. When he dropped in, he glanced sideways to the end to see a large creature, like some sort of rock; he looked exactly like the one Link had met back in Faron! They must have been the same species.

"H- hey there," Link stammered, approaching him carefully. He was shocked to discover that the creature had some sort of stool growing out of his head.

"Ohhhh!" the big creature exclaimed. "I almost never get visitors! My name is Golo. I'm here researching the legend of the three dragons, one of which is said to live here."

"Good, that's… that's sort of what I'm looking for. I need a flame," Link explained.

"Well, at first glance it would seem there is nothing in this area, but I know there is something here. You just have to keep on looking! So, who are you?"

"Oh, sorry. It's Link."

"So your name is Link. Not the easiest name to say," he added, scratching his head below the trunk-like growth. "Oh! Sweet goro! You mentioned a sacred flame, yes? I read something about that in ancient scrolls that spoke of the Lanayru Sand Sea. I can't remember all the details, but you can get there if you go straight through here. If you want to get there, you need this key!"

He handed it to Link, who took it and then looked up to his right at the locked door nearby. The only way up was with the clawshots. _I must be on the right path._

"Thank you," he said, casting the great creature a smile before using the clawshots to get up to the door. When he unlocked it and headed through, he found himself in what seemed like an entirely different place. Sand stretched out all the way to the horizon, and as he stood up on the ledge he'd found himself on, Fi appeared.

"A report, Master. This is the Lanayru Sand Sea. It used to be a vast ocean. But the water has all evaporated, and now it is a sea of sand."  
_Sand sea. Real creative._ At least he knew now why the area below him looked like some sort of a dock. Surely it was a bustling port, way back when.

"This area operated on a new form of power. There is a 90% probability that the sacred flame is ahead," Fi added. "I recommend exploring it."

"Easier said than done," Link replied, but Fi only smiled before flipping back into his sword. It seemed that the only way down was with clawshots, and so Link began jumping from tower to tower, still a little sketched out about hanging onto what seemed like a somewhat unstable lifeline. However, he eventually reached the bottom, only to meet a ton of electrified chu-chus. They really were the worst.

Link headed out to the dock as soon as he could, looking at the boat and dejected robot curiously before hitting the time stone that was located in the engine of the boat. As he expected, a circular area around the boat changed drastically. Water replaced sand, and the colours on the dock became much more vibrant, as if they had just been painted on. The boat lifted itself, floating atop the water, and the robot came alive.

"Hmm, bzzrt? Who are you? Some sort of human, vrrrm?"

"Link," he replied, smiling. "Are you some sort of captain?" The hat gave it away.

"Who am I? I am the proud skipper of the ship that protects Nayru's flame, phweep!"

"That's great! I'm looking for that flame myself!" Link exclaimed, grinning. What a great coincidence. This would be easy!

"…It was the day of the storm," the robot went on, as if he hadn't heard what Link said. His little robot eyes stared off into the distance as Link watched him warily. "My crew and I were navigating the seas as usual, phoo-weep… And then those brutes, brrrzt. Those pirates suddenly attacked us, bzzzt. They were after Nayru's Flame, zzpt. My crew was imprisoned, and I was thrown into the sea! I drifted on the current to this port, vrrrm. After that, I took this boat and went searching for my ship and crew, but they were nowhere to be found, bzzzt. It haunts me, wondering where my ship could be, phweep."

Link's heart dropped. This would be impossible.

"I'd bet that they've turned the ship invisible and are hiding it somewhere, vrrm! You can't see it."

Link's jaw dropped. _Make that double impossible.  
_

"Invisible?" he asked, in a weak voice.

"Of course, vrrrt! In order to protect Nayru's flame, the ship has a function to turn it invisible. And you say you're searching for that flame?"

"I'm looking for someone who… means a lot to me," he sighed. Even if the flame was lost, he would spend every day looking for it, just for the chance that he could make things better and fix this.

"Oh, I see, vrrrm. In that case, you should help me search, phweep!"

"You mean, it's possible to find it?"

"Well, it's out there somewhere, zrrrt. If you'll help me, I'll let you on the boat."

"Let's do it," Link agreed, and the two of them jumped aboard.

"Let's see your map," the robot asked, as soon as they got aboard. Link spread it out in front of the two of them on the floor, already knowing what the little robot's response would be.

"There's… something weird about that, vrrrt. We need a proper sea chart if we want to navigate the waves, phweep! I have a sea chart in my shack at Skipper's Retreat. So first, set a course for there. Shall we shove off, vrrrm?"

Link nodded in reply, and got a hold of the boat's controls, pushing forwards on the pedal to get it moving. _Don't worry, Zelda,_ he thought, _I'm gonna do this. For us._


End file.
